A Hero's return
by naruhina-namikaze
Summary: Naruto returns from the Pain fight only to lead a different journey in life from this defining moment.  M rating for later chapters, see inside for better summary. Naruhina.
1. Chapter 1  The Return

Title: A hero's return.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not my creation, nor do I claim to have created it.

This story follows on from Naruto's return to the village of Konoha following its destruction, by the hands of Pain. Upon returning to the site of his victorious battle with the Akatsuki member, with the assistance of Hatake Kakashi, an unsuspecting Naruto is greeted by a hero's welcome. The increasing acknowledgement of the Jinchuuriki of the Kyubi has been slow, but sure, with his teacher Iruka Sensei being the first to create a 'bond' with the misunderstood youngster. Four years from this, Naruto has become a popular figure amongst his peers primarily through his determination to not give up, and to fight for his beliefs. The welcome he received from his beloved villagers allowed him to feel what he has desired all his life...acknowledgement from everyone, to the level of the Hokage.

Hinata's declaration of love for Naruto, moments before she attempts to protect him with her life, is a defining moment in the Naruto story. However, It appears that Kishimoto doesn't want to pursue it any further. At least in the Manga anyway.

The main focus of this story is to present an altered path following his return, showing the growth of a relationship between the pair.

This story runs loosely along the canon at the beginning, with significant changes later that will change the way in which the story progresses.

* * *

***Chapter 1- The Return***

Cheers rang out from the sea of men, women, and children of Konoha.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Thank you, you are our saviour."

"Three cheers for the Hero of Konoha. Hip-Hip, Hooray! Hip-Hip, Hooray! Hip-Hip, Hooray!"

"Ka-Kakashi sensei, w-what's happening?" he managed to force out in utter amazement at the site presented before him. The overwhelming wave of noise and emotion coming from the crowd brought a tear to Naruto's eye.

"I provided a detailed account of your triumph over the final Pain to the villagers. They have been waiting eagerly for your return Naruto-kun." Katsuyu stated squeakily in Naruto's ear as she perched on his shoulder.

"You are the hero of Konoha, Naruto. Thank you." Kakashi said to his young student, as he helped Naruto off his shoulders. _"He's becoming more like you every day, Sensei." _Kakashi thought to himself as he looked up at the stone carved face of the Yondaime.

A smile slowly began to beam across Naruto's face as it hit home that everyone he saw before him, acknowledged him as something other than the Kyubi that resided within. People began rushing towards him just with the feint hope that they may be able to touch their hero.

"What was it like? Did you really kill Pain on your own? Wow you are amazing Naruto!" This was all that could be heard from the children surrounding Naruto.

"He-he, I guess I am." Naruto laughed as he scratched his head in embarrassment.

As Naruto looked around he could see the rookie teams assembling together. He was overjoyed by the happiness and relief on their faces, even more so by the sight of Hinata, who was stood with Kiba and Shino. Although she looked beaten and bruised, everyone in front of the spiky haired blonde was. He could feel something in the pit of his stomach when he looked at her, _"what is this feeling?" _He thought to himself.

"**Kid, you sure are dumb sometimes." **He heard residing from the fifty foot cage inside his mind. **"You can single-handedly defeat the man who couldn't be stopped by your entire village, but you can't figure out what this overwhelming emotion is." **The Kyubi chuckled before growling at his teenage jailer.

"_Shut up, you over-sized fur ball. Are you going to tell me or not?" _He yelled angrily at the nine-tails.

"**No" **The demon chuckled as it laid down, thinking heavily about how close he had come to freedom moments ago. _**"Cursed Yondaime Hokage" **_it thought to itself before falling asleep.

Before he could wake up the annoying fox, Kiba, Lee, and Chouji began to run over to their fellow Nin, picking him up so that he rested on their shoulders. "Express your youthfulness to your fans Naruto-kun!" Lee shouted excitedly urging Naruto to speak to the villagers.

The crowd suddenly grew silent, waiting for the blonde haired Jinchuriki to speak.

'_Ha-ha, god what mess has the annoying green beast got me into this time...I'm useless at speeches.'_ Naruto thought to himself, coughing to clear his throat, and to give himself time to think. "I-um just-um want to say that..." Naruto began to say in a rather unnatural shy manner, pausing briefly before he re-grouped and continued.

"I want to say first and foremost that I'm glad that everyone is safe." He took a deep breath before continuing with his 'speech'. "I would also like to say one other thing. Everyone here is part of a family, regardless of their clan, we are the villagers of the hidden leaf, and today everyone here showed their 'will of fire'. Tomorrow we will be given the task to rebuild our homes, but today, we should continue to celebrate that we only lost our homes, and not our lives."

The crowd appeared stunned at what they heard, not expecting such words from the supposed 'idiot' ninja, who sounded mature beyond his years. Naruto looked around at the silent crowd as it suddenly burst into rapturous applause.

"Who would have thought he could be so...eloquent. He's kind of sexy..." Tenten stated to Neji and Ino with a slightly rosy colour in her cheeks. Ino nodded with a similar tint to her cheeks as she gazed towards the grinning teen, but Neji felt slightly jealous of the blonde before him. "_Why can't she say that about me." _the stone-faced Hyuga thought to himself and sighed.

Naruto asked his fellow Nin to let him down, and began to walk over to Hinata-chan. Her happy and cheerful demeanour suddenly shifted as she saw the love of her life walk towards her. The lavender eyed Hyuga began to press her index fingers together as she was so very fond of around him.

"Err-Hinata-Chan, I...err...Is it okay if we ca..." Naruto stopped mid-sentence.

"NARUTO-KUN!" Hinata screamed as he collapsed into her arms. The crowd gasped as their hero lay in the young Hyuga's arms. Sakura was quick to arrive at the scene.

The medical-Nin quickly looked over her fellow team 7 member. "Don't worry Hinata, he's okay, just exhausted from this ordeal." Sakura said to reassure the extremely worried indigo haired kunoichi. The uneasiness in her facial expression began to ease as she heard Naruto snore away loudly in the background.

Kakashi and Gai-sensei appeared out of thin air either side of the three Ninja, picking up Naruto slowly so not to injure him.

"Come on, let's get you to the medical tent", Kakashi whispered in his ear so not to wake him. He was taken hastily away from the crowd, who returned to their celebrations, and somehow managed to remain upbeat considering the destruction that surrounded them. They placed him in the makeshift medical facility, followed directly by Hinata and Sakura. The pink haired medical-Nin gave Naruto a quick check-up before deciding that there was no residing damage to his body or his chakra system.

"Is...Is Na-Naruto-kun okay?" Hinata muttered quietly so only Sakura could hear.

"Yes." Sakura replied with a smile. "Try not to get too worried about him. He's strong. It won't be long before he's fully recovered. That Kyubi of his rapidly increases recovery time." Sakura said cheerfully as she placed her hand on Hinata's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. She remained for a brief period before leaving with Kakashi and Gai-sensei to join in with the festivities. They urged Hinata to join them, but she refused to leave Naruto's bed-side, placing her hands nervously onto his as he slept peacefully. They were relatively undisturbed as, only Shikamaru (who was out cold due to the large amount of morphene he had been given for his leg), and the Godaime Hokage (who remained in a coma as she recovered from using her mitotic regeneration jutsu) were placed in the same tent, being looked after by a small number of medics, along with the revived Shizune.

"N-Naruto-kun...thank you."The exhausted Hyuga said quietly before falling asleep besides her beloved Naruto, thinking about what he was about to ask her before he collapsed into her unsuspecting arms.

* * *

A few hours later, Captain Yamato approached the hidden village at near light speed jumping frantically through the tree tops, desperate to get back to aid in the Kyubi attack. As he reached the main gates, the look of desperation quickly subsided and was replaced with a mixture of shock, and utter fear. Before him was not his pleasant village, but a crater. "Shit...I'm too late. I-Its gone. I was too late. God Damn it."The captain said angrily, collapsing to his knees as he looked at the devastation in front of him.

"What's with the manic depressed look Yamato, it doesn't fit with your ice-cold appearance."

"Kakashi-senpai..." Yamato replied as he looked up at the silver haired Jounin."...what's going on here? I-I thought everyone was dead. The Kyubi..." He asked before he was cut off.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto's fine." The copy-cat ninja said reassuringly to Yamato, who still looked confused as to what caused the village to crumble. "This was done by the hands of an Akatsuki member. Naruto saved us, he saved everyone." Kakashi said as he vanished into thin air, before reappearing next to Yamato.

"Naruto defeated an Akatsuki member who could do so much damage, singlehanded? How? Where were you Kakashi-Senpai? More-so, what happened to the Hokage?" The usually calm ANBU Captain rifled off question after question as he searched hastily for answers. Kakashi sat besides his fellow Nin as he began to enlighten him on what had transpired, and how Naruto had selflessly taken another step towards filling the void his father had left when he succumbed to the Kyubi.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Should we tell him? He will surely kill us for bearing such news."

"No he won't, don't be such a pussy. It's not like we could have helped out."

"I take that Pain and Konan were unsuccessful in retrieving the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi." Madara said loud enough for the split personalities of Zetsu to halt their argument. The air in the darkened room, with only a single candle on Madara's desk providing any light, became still. "I'll take your silence as a no then, Zetsu." Madara said calmly as he continued looking over numerous 'classified' documents.

"He was defeated by the Uzumaki brat, and Konan disappeared with the body." The black half said confidently. "Konoha was levelled, but it appears that he used his Rinnegan to revive all those who perished, shortly before he died."

"I doubt that it will take long for the worker ants to begin reconstruction." The white half added.

"This was a most unexpected turn of events. I never imagined for the rash, loud mouthed Konoha brat to have defeated a 'god'." Madara chuckled loudly, mocking his fellow Akatsuki member as his voice briefly transformed to that of Tobi. "However, it is most unfortunate for Konan to leave with his body. For that she will have to die!" His voice reverted back to the emotionless Uchiha in an instant, sending a sudden chill down Zetsu's spine. "Let's hope that Kisame has greater success with the Hachibi."

"So, the idiot managed to defeat an Akatsuki member." The words echoed around the room before a tall figure appeared from inside the darkness. All that could be made out from amongst the black surrounding him were the red clouds on his cloak. The figure opened their eyes unleashing their Sharingan on the unsuspecting Zetsu.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun, I couldn't sense your presence at all." The white half stuttered.

"Heh, he's achieved the power of a sage, I doubt even you could defeat him now Sasuke." The black half said in an attempt to piss off the dark haired Uchiha. Light suddenly filled the room, as a wave of killing intent erupted from the young Uchiha. Chakra had formed into a lightning blade in the palm of his hand. The noise was deafening in such an enclosed space.

"Now, now Sasuke, there's no point in wasting your energy on poor Zetsu. I have someone else in mind that I think you would much rather like to kill." Madara said to his brethren Uchiha, now stood besides Sasuke holding onto his arm, forcibly disabling his technique.

"_What speed...no, it was something else, I'm sure he didn't move." _Sasuke stood looking confused at Madara's insane speed, before settling down to hear what Madara had planned. "I'm listening." He said intriguingly.

* * *

Nightfall had struck the village of Konoha. Various tents had been erected in order for the celebrations to continue 'indoors' as the temperature dropped. Fire element users created small fires around the crater as a source of heat as the moon light shone down upon the cheerful villagers. The cheering and laughter had not subsided, mainly through the use of alcohol, but spirits remained high regardless. Kakashi, Gai-sensei, Yamato, and Iruka were sat at a table; Captain Yamato had so kindly created, underneath the Hokage monument.

"Do you think Naruto-kun will be okay?" Iruka probed Kakashi hoping for a positive reply.

"You worry about him too much Iruka, but yes, Sakura assured me that he is just suffering from severe chakra exhaustion due to overuse of his sage jutsu." Kakashi replied, with a smile clearly formed underneath his mask. "He's already surpassed us at such a young age. He's probably even surpassed Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi added almost disappointingly that his student was possibly more capable than he was. Iruka simply smiled and continued on drinking his sake, pouring Kakashi a cup to pick up the clearly upset Jounin.

"That boy has changed so much from the academy failure he was almost five years ago. You and Jiraiya did a good job with his training Kakashi-senpai." Captain Yamato chirped in to try and pick up the Jounin.

"He's becoming more like his father every day." Kakashi began to sob, slurring some of his words as he remembered the life of his Sensei, before passing out on the table. Yamato and Iruka looked at each other astonished; laughing at the drunken figure slouched in front of them.

"YES! I have defeated you, my eternal rival at this youthfulness of a drinking competition..." Gai-sensei was cut off by the overriding urge to vomit, disappearing into the darkness before returning to make the nice guy pose, shortly prior to joining Kakashi in a state of drunken unconsciousness.

"I hope you're not hoping to join them Captain Yamato. Something tells me you're going to be needed a lot more than us tomorrow." Iruka smiled at the wood jutsu user, before it dawned on Yamato what Iruka was getting at.

* * *

Thanks to those who have taken time to write a review. I wasn't expecting any so thanks. :)

Next chapter should be up in a couple of days.

Hope everyone likes how it has begun.


	2. Chapter 2 Revelations

Disclaimer: Naruto is not my creation, this is just an adaptation.

***Chapter 2 – Revelations***

"Huh, where am I?" Naruto said as he slowly opened his eyes, instantly shutting them as he was nearly blinded by the sunshine coming through the window. Three days had passed before Naruto awoke, his body aching all over as he waited for his eyes to readjust to the overpowering sun light.

"I thought that would have been obvious from the ceiling, and the fact you're wearing a patients gown, Naruto-kun." Sakura said cheerfully to the dazed blonde, implying that he's seen the ceiling of a hospital ward enough times during his time as a shinobi, to know where he was.

"Oh, Sakura-chan." Naruto's face lit up as shouted excitedly to his fellow member of Team Kakashi. "Hey, wait, um, you didn't undress me did you?" He asked nervously as he realised that the flimsy gown was all that protected his manhood. He was hit harshly over the head by the kunoichi in reply.

"Idiot." She exclaimed as she ran some tests on the bed ridden ninja.

"Am I in the hospital? How long have I been out for?" he pried for information as he looked around the newly created room, noticing another person in the bed behind Sakura.

"Around three days. And yes, the hospital was the first thing to be rebuilt, after the Hokage's building of course, thanks to Yamato-taichou. You collapsed right into poor Hinata's arms; she's been so worried about you." Sakura said as she shoved a thermometer into Naruto's mouth. _"Thank Christ she's giving me an oral examination." _Naruto thought uncomfortably.

It seemed like the lights had suddenly come on inside his head. "Hinata! Is she okay?" He yelped at Sakura in a concerned manner, spitting out the thermometer onto the bed. _"How could I be so stupid to pass out like that?"_ The helpless teen began to worry uncontrollably about the young Hyuga.

"Don't worry, she will be here in about an hour. She comes to visit you twice a day, before and after helping with the reconstruction. Far too troublesome if you ask me." The figure behind Sakura chirped up as she moved away to present a plastered up Shikamaru.

"Don't be so heartless Shikamaru, she clearly cares for him. I mean look at all the flowers she's brought him." Sakura pointed to the five vases that were resting on the windowsill, each filled with a different type a flower, each meaning something on the lines of love, or compassion. "Didn't Temari come all the way from the sand village just to see you?" Sakura teased with a sly grin on her face.

"Well-err...um, it's because um...she came to help with the aid relief from Suna." Shikamaru managed to blurt out as his face began to turn a deep shade of pink.

"Doing your utmost to strengthen relations between Konoha and Suna I see Shikamaru?" Naruto chuckled away as he taunted the dark haired Jounin. "Um-Sakura-chan, are all those flowers really from Hinata-chan?" Naruto whispered to Sakura so that Shikamaru couldn't hear him. She simply nodded and smiled back him before leaning down towards his ear.

"Thank you, for everything Naruto-kun." She whispered happily as she picked up her charts and moved onto the next room. Naruto grinned at Sakura's words, it wasn't very often he got congratulated.

"Any chance you could give us some privacy when Hinata-chan gets here, eh Shikamaru?" Naruto asked nicely. Shikamaru merely looked down to his left leg which was covered in a cast up to the knee, being suspended above the bed by an intricate pulley system. "I'll take that as a no then." Naruto replied to the laziest Nin in Konoha. He sat up with his legs dangled over the bed, looking at the work going on outside of the window. Everywhere Naruto could see from his window was the beginnings of a new building being constructed, being held up by large scaffolding towers. It appeared to him that everyone in the village helping out. His gaze was distracted by the sight of two kunoichi walking through the iron gates at the hospital entrance. Naruto quickly looked for his clothes, not liking the idea of walking around the hospital with his ass on show through the poorly placed slit in the back of the gown. Luckily he had managed to put on his pants just as the door slid open, and in walked Temari and Hinata.

"Wow, you're finally awake. It's taken you long enough." The sand Nin said coldly to the genin as she hugged Hinata and sat by Shikamaru's bed, pulling the curtain around them, inviting the idea of 'privacy'.

"He-hello Na-Naruto-kun..." Hinata managed to say as she began to feel dizzy at the sight of Naruto's topless body, taking a sly look before putting her hands over her eyes. _"Na-Naruto-kun, I-I just saw Naruto-kun half-naked. He's so sexy." _She thought to herself, smiling shyly at such a thought, her face brimming with different shades of embarrassment.

Naruto couldn't understand her uncomfortable reaction, until he realised he didn't have a top on. "Hello Hinata-chan. I'm sorry about the lack of a T-shirt, but I can't seem to find it." The embarrassed teen laughed awkwardly as he tried to explain his nakedness. Hinata just pointed to the back of the chair besides his bed, keeping one of her hands over her eyes in an attempt to protect her innocent stature. Naruto put on his black undershirt and turned back to Hinata. "It's okay, you can open your eyes now, I'm decent." He chuckled.

Hinata giggled and picked up the flower she had placed on his bedside table. "Um, this I-is for you Na-Naruto-kun" holding it out in front of her so that Naruto could take it off her.

"Thank you Hinata-chan." He smiled at her as he took the vase and placed it with the others. She smiled lovingly back at him as the sun shone brightly through the window, lighting up the young Hyuga's face. The knot in the pit of his stomach he felt previously quickly returned as he looked admiringly at her beauty. Her eyes became caught in his; his gaze became immovable like he was a snake being charmed. "Is it alright if we have that talk now?" Naruto asked, thinking back to his last thoughts before waking up in the hospital.

The Hyuga simply nodded as Naruto smiled and began to walk towards her, interlocking her arm within his. She began to blush even more at the thought that she was walking with him, arms linked, and everyone in the hospital could see them.

"Thank god they've gone. I thought they would never leave." Temari said thankfully, following up with a seductive look towards Shikamaru, who simply gulped as the sand Nin leant onto the bed, kissing him passionately...

"Crap. Quick, in here." Naruto pulled Hinata into a storage closet, sliding the door so it was only very slightly open.

"Wha-what are yo..." Hinata was stopped by Naruto placing his hand over her mouth as he placed his finger on his, signalling for silence. Brief moments passed as Sakura walked by the door way, discussing something with another medical-nin.

"Phew, she nearly got us." Naruto chuckled as he opened the door and urged Hinata out by holding her hand. Hinata's pink cheers were deepening in colour at every passing moment. "Don't go fainting on me now Hinata-chan." He made her giggle causing her to calm down a bit.

* * *

The mood within the Hokage tower was in complete contrast to that outside, with the villagers working happily to help in the reconstruction of Konoha. Five members of the civilian council; the village elders; Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado; a ANBU captain; Nara Shikaku; and the Land of Fire's Daimyo, sat patiently deliberating the troubles that had arisen from recent events. A number of points had been discussed before the sadistic head of 'Root' brought up a significant weakness of the village's reconstruction.

"There is something else we need to consider." Everyone paused as the aged man spoke up. "At this present moment, Konoha has no Hokage. We need to fill the position immediately."

"Surely you cannot be serious. The Godaime is in a coma, she's not dead." The emotionless man merely looked at Shikaku's disgusted gaze, with the desire to silence him permanently for his sudden outburst in defence of the slug princess.

"Danzo has a point. We have no idea when she will wake up, or even _if _she will wake up at all. For the present moment, choosing a new Hokage is the most important decision we need to make." Koharu added in support of Danzo's proposal. He gave a quick glance in her direction, providing a sly grin.

"...Well then, who shall it be?" the Daimyo asked.

"Well..." Danzo was cut off by another outburst by Shikaku.

"I nominate Hatake Kakashi." The group around the table began take interest in such a well known name, a true symbol of Konoha's strength, the son of 'White fang', and the wielder of the fearsome Sharingan.

"He was a student of the Yondaime, who in turn was a student of Jiraiya, a pupil of the Sandaime." The Daimyo stated in such a way that showed he had reached his decision.

"The Sandaime's teachings have as good as destroyed the village!" Danzo slandered the teachings of his rival, providing case after case of 'avoidable' shortcomings that resulted from his teachings. "There is only one person who can bring Konoha out of this wretched situation, and that is me!"

"Perhaps Danzo-sama is right, maybe we should leave things to him, my lord." One of the council members pressured the words on the Daimyo. The man merely looked at Danzo giving him a sinister grin.

Before Shikaku could begin to interject further, the Daimyo began to speak once again. "Enough! It's decided, Danzo, you will be the Rokudaime Hokage." The heads of both Shikaku and the ANBU captain sagged greatly as the overly pleased 'Root' leader accepted the Daimyo's judgement.

* * *

It wasn't long before Naruto and Hinata had left the hospital grounds, and were walking through the extremely busy streets. The pair moved together in silence, but it was clear they were both thinking frantically about what was happening. As they walked down another street, the realization hit Naruto that everyone was still staring at him. However, it felt different. People were smiling at him, waving, they looked genuinely happy to see him. Naruto could only smile as he became overjoyed by his surroundings.

"I know just the place I want to take you." His words tickled her ear as he whispered quietly into it. Before she could reply he had grabbed hold of her hand, and began to drag her through the streets. Hinata picked up the pace instantly, confused at where she was being taken, but overwhelmingly happy that he was holding her hand. _"I hope he's not taking me to that god awful ramen stand." _She giggled quietly at the thought.

After a short while they reached their destination. Naruto sat down as he caught his breath. He still hadn't completely recovered. "Come on, I'm not going to bite...well...at least not yet anyway." He winked cheekily at the indigo haired beauty as he patted his hand on the spot next to him, causing her to laugh quite loudly for the shy Hyuga.

"O-okay." Hinata complied, sitting down next to him shaking slightly as the nerves of the moment hit her.

"I used to come up here all the time when I was younger, just lie here all day looking at the clouds, well, between pranks anyway." He laughed as he reminisced at the good old days in his prankster career. "Deep down, something always attracted me to this spot, and until four days ago, I never knew why. If it wasn't for you, I possibly would have never found out." Hinata turned to him looking confused at what he was implying. Naruto turned to look at the confused shinobi, giving her a reassuring smile before continuing.

"I wanted to thank you for what happened out there." He said uneasily, hoping that she wasn't going to faint on him like she was so very fond of. "You didn't even think about yourself when you went out there to help me. You wanted to protect me, regardless of who it was that stood before you. If it wasn't for your actions I probably would have been captured there and then. I love you so much for that."

Hinata looked back to Naruto in utter amazement at what he just said to her. _"He, 'loves' me? Naruto-kun just said he l-loves me." _

"**Well done kid, you finally figured it out huh." **A sinister laugh filled the sewer inside his mind.

"_Shut it..."_

"When you told me how you felt about me, I was in shock, no one had ever told me that they loved me, and I could see it truly came from your heart with the confidence that was flowing out of you." Hinata blushed heavily as she opened her mouth in an attempt to form a reply to what Naruto was telling her, but she couldn't even force a sound, making her even more embarrassed.

Naruto held her gently by the hand. "You see, how's a guy supposed to know you like him when you never speak to him." The smile he gave caused her to giggle quietly, but also gave her the confidence she needed to tell him what she had wanted to for all these years.

"Naruto-kun, I've always loved you. I admired you, I wanted to be with you, I wanted to show you how much I cared about you, but until that moment..." She paused briefly as her eyes began to water. "I was so scared I was going to lose you that I rushed out to save you, and it nearly got me killed." Tears began to stream down her face as she remembered the ordeal she went through to protect him from overly pierced Pain. It wasn't long before Naruto has wrapped his warm arms around her, trying to comfort her. _"He's so soft and comforting." _She thought as she continued to saturate his T-shirt with tears.

"The true happiness I felt when you told me you loved me was replaced by utter rage and hatred after what he did to you. I-I had never felt so cold." Naruto paused as he tried to control himself. Hinata could see the angst on his face and tried to comfort him to continue. "When I saw you on the floor with Pain stood above you, I cracked inside. I was taken over by the demon residing inside me. The pain I felt was so much worse than when I heard about Ero-Sennin. I couldn't control myself."

Hinata had stopped crying and was looking up at the distraught boy. She shakily placed her hand on his cheek in order to calm him. The happiness in his strained eyes returned as he looked at the compassion coming from hers.

"I was at breaking point. I was so close to releasing the seal on the Kyubi until I was stopped by someone." Naruto exhaled deeply. Fully relaxed he then lay back, pulling Hinata down with him so that they were lying together on the Yondaime's head on the Hokage monument, looking peacefully at the clear blue sky. "If it wasn't for the love, and the hatred I had felt in those moments on the battlefield, I would have never met my father."

"Your father?" Hinata replied quietly confused. "You mean your father was the one that stopped you from breaking the seal?" She got even more confused as she tried to work it out. He merely looked across to her, gently stroking her silky hair as he began to speak.

"My father is the Yondaime Hokage." He grinned like the Cheshire cat when he told her. Hinata could only look at him with an utterly stunned stare. She had no words to reply to what had just been said. "I'm glad I told someone, I felt like I was going to burst. But I would appreciate it if you kept it a secret. Okay?"

"Don't worry Naruto-kun, I can keep your secret." Hinata replied to the love of her life with such happiness that he would choose her to share something like this with. Naruto leant over, kissing her on the tip of her nose, causing her to face to change shade yet again. This was the happiest moment of her life. Brimming with confidence Hinata snuggled up into his warm body for a few moments, before placing her soft, luscious lips onto his. It felt as if time stood still as they fully embraced this picture perfect moment. _"M-my first kiss...this feels amazing."_ Her mind was bombarded by so many thoughts about what she was doing at that very second, some a lot less innocent than others.

"_Hm, maybe I should leave the love birds alone for the time being."_ Kakashi's Kage Bunshin thought as it 'collected information' on the two through the trees, before it dispelled itself returning its information to the real Kakashi, who was talking to a worried Sakura in the hospital. Sakura's worry transformed into a cute 'awwhhh' sound, as Kakashi told her where the mischievous boy had vanished to, and who he was with.

The love struck pair sat there; snuggling, watching the sun set and the moon rise over head, beaming down like a spotlight onto their perfect moment. Naruto leaned in towards her face, brushing his nose over hers as he looked directly into the beautiful gems she called eyes. She blushed at the actions of the whiskered teen, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders, pulling his lips down onto hers. Time slowed significantly as they rolled around, each passing moment felt like a year when their lips touched. "Oh no, I forgot. I was supposed to help Hanabi with her Kaiten tonight." Hinata interrupted the moment, beginning to panic as the rest of her life suddenly came rushing back to her.

"It's okay, I'll walk you home." Naruto smiled as he interlocked his fingers between hers, sweeping her off her feet as he jumped off the Yondaime's head and into the street directly beneath. The silence in the streets of Konoha was so eerie that it made the hairs on Hinata's neck stand on end. It wasn't long before the pair reached the partially constructed Hyuga compound. Although the pair remained silent, the air between them was rich in happiness. The guards at the compound gates looked down the street at the silhouetted figures. As they drew closer they could make out Lady Hinata with the Hero of Konoha. One signalled to the other to go inside, as the other stood firm. Shortly after, the guard returned with Hiashi Hyuga.

"Oh god, it's my father. He's going to scald me for being late." Hinata's mood suddenly changed, showing signs of genuine fear.

"Don't worry Hinata-chan, I'll protect you." Naruto instinctively retorted as they were about ten feet away from her father.

"Hinata, you're late. Hanabi has been worried about you." Hiashi stated firmly.

"I'm sorry Hiashi-san, it was my fault Hinata-chan was late. She was visiting me at the hospital and..." he was cut off from his explanation.

"I admire your desire to protect my daughter Naruto, but I am not angry with her. I merely came out to see my daughter with the Hero of Konoha." The stern faced Hyuga half-smiled at Naruto with genuine happiness in his eyes, as he placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder. You could see in his reaction to seeing her with him that he was somewhat proud of his eldest daughter. This was a clear sign to Naruto that there was a change in the winds when it came down to his appearance to the village. If the stern-faced head of the Hyuga clan had accepted him, surely the rest of the village had too. "Now if you will excuse us Naruto-san, we have training to attend to."

"Good night Naruto-kun." Hinata whispered towards Naruto, as she turned into the compound with her father.

"Good Night Hinata!" Naruto shouted over the wall so that the whole compound could hear him.

"_You're going to get me into trouble Naruto-kun." _She thought to herself as she expected her father to make a crude remark about the boy. Hiashi simply looked down and smiled at his daughter, lovingly. Hinata could not believe her eyes, her father never showed such affection towards her.

"_Thank you Naruto-san, you have brought out my daughters true strength." _Hiashi thought to himself before entering the dojo with Hinata.

"Ex-excuse me Naruto-sama, I-I was wondering if I could have your autograph." The Hyuga guard scratched his head with a slightly embarrassed look. Aside from Hinata, Naruto couldn't remember another Hyuga clan member showing any emotion.

"_Did he seriously just ask me for my autograph? Wow, I could get used to this." _Naruto sniggered and turned back to the guard, who pulled out a small scroll and held it out in front of him. This was without doubt one of the weirdest things he had ever been asked to do, aside from the time Ero-Sennin had asked him to Henge into something voluptuous with lots of spirit, 'for his research'. _"Shit, I'm so going to get it from Sakura-chan when I get back." _It suddenly dawned on him where he was supposed to be, and remembered what happened to him the last time Sakura caught him and Sai sneak out hospital. He shuddered at the thought and quickly finished the autograph. The Hyuga gentleman bowed as a sign of respect, as Naruto hightailed it back to the hospital.

He found that the window to his room was open, so he scaled the wall in order to avoid bumping into Sakura inside one of the halls. _"he-he, I'm going to get away with this"_, he thought to himself as he crept in through the window.

"He's here!" Shikamaru shouted loud enough for the silhouette outside the door to hear him. _"That was so troublesome, but the efforts totally worth it this time."_ He thought to himself as he sat their smugly. The door slid open...

"_Oh crap..." _Naruto didn't have any more time to think before he was punched to the floor by Sakura.

"Sa-ku-ra-chan..." Naruto sounded out every syllable as he pulled his bruised head up to rest on the bed. She cracked her knuckles and turned her attention to the overly amused shadow user, wildly swinging her chakra charged right fist at the lazy bastards head.

"Ouch, what the hell was that for?" Shikamaru cradled the obscenely large bump on his head, as Naruto picked himself up off the ground, and into bed, laughing quietly enough so the sinister medical-Nin couldn't hear him.

"That's for grassing on your fellow ninja! And you call yourself a Chuunin." An evil laugh filled the room as she left with a sense of satisfaction.

"Geez, she was only supposed to hit you for running off with your girlfriend." Shikamaru continued to rub the bump as he was hit in the head by a flying plate. The bump began to grow a twin as Naruto laughed uncontrollably.

"That's for taking the piss, and for getting me in shit with Sakura-chan. She's even scarier than Yamato-taichou when she wants to be." Naruto rubbed the purple bruise as he thought about Shikamaru said. _"We kissed, and we said all that stuff to each other. Does that mean that she is my girlfriend?"_ The spiky haired blonde smirked and laid back into his pillow thinking about what had happened between him and Hinata today.

Shikamaru caught the look on his face as he stared off into space. "It's troublesome to admit, but love sure has its perks." Naruto turned to the bedridden Nin as Shikamaru just laughed and closed his eyes, dreaming about how...persuasive...a certain Suna-kunoichi could be when she wanted something. A perverted grin appeared on Naruto's half white, half purple face, as he realised that Temari's cold act with him earlier was to make him leave so she could get some. _"Looks like I'm not the only lucky one. Damn you Ero-sennin, even in death you taunt me with your perverted ways." _He thought as he turned over to look out of the window towards the Hyuga compound.

* * *

"Juuken!" Hinata exclaimed as she thrust her chakra loaded palm at her little sister Hanabi. The younger understandably has much less chakra and was beginning to tire. She was able to block the straight thrust, and parried two more attacks before Hinata landed a blow on Hanabi's shoulder. Hanabi fell backwards as three Tenketsu in her shoulder had been closed. She was still struggling to activate the 'Kaiten' defensive jutsu that was innate to the Hyuga clan's bloodline limit.

"Hinata, Hanabi, let's retire for today." Hiashi stated in a monotone manner to the sisters. His stern exterior had since returned from earlier in the evening.

"Hai!" The two replied like robots. Hinata bowed to her father and helped up Hanabi.

"Do you want me look over your injuries." Hinata asked her sister nicely. Hanabi just nodded up at her sister and smiled as they walked off to their chambers.

"She was brimming with confidence in that fight Hiashi-sama. Usually she struggles against Hanabi-sama, but tonight she appeared to have shown perfect form in her Juuken. Her chakra control was perfect and left no openings in her defence." Neji stated to his uncle as they walked away from the dojo.

"Yes, I noticed that too. That Naruto is having a very positive effect on her. Since her interference in the fight between Pain and Naruto, she seems like a completely different person." The clan leader replied positively to Neji's analysis.

"It's not just from then; this change began during the Chuunin exams four years ago." Neji said intriguing Hiashi's interest.

"Oh? Please enlighten me."

"During my fight with Hinata-sama in the preliminary rounds of the final exam, she had already submitted to defeat before the match had begun. Naruto's encouragement from the stands gave her the will to strip away all of her fears, and face me free of any hindrances. He has a way of understanding that can change anyone, even me." Neji smiled and looked reassuringly at Hiashi. "Naruto has a gift. Through his determination to succeed, and his heroic actions, he can change this world." Hiashi just looked at the usually hushed Hyuga as if someone had replaced him with a Henge.

"It would appear you are correct Neji, he has become a name-sake of this village, a hero who will protect every last person with his life." _"It would seem I have misplaced my judgement with your choice of a mate, my daughter." _Hiashi thought to himself before he and Neji went their separate ways.

Hinata lay on her bed, staring at the full moon out of her window. She had never really taken in its full beauty until she had laid there in Naruto's arms, staring aimlessly into the night's sky. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see his staring at her, her lips tingled as if he was still kissing her, inside her imagination he still was. This was a day that she could never forget. Her first kiss from her one true love, who would appear to love her back. Hinata fully immersed herself in her overactive imagination as she succumbed to tiredness. "Goodnight Naruto-kun, my love." She whispered gently.

* * *

"So, which one of you is the Hachibi?" an excited voice asked two men, one who wore a white gown and sat on the head of an oversized racoon, the other bore seven blades on his back and carried a notebook in his hand. The pair turned to see a man stood within fifty feet of them, sporting a black cloak with red clouds.

"You have no business here. Leave immediately or my pet will have you for scraps." The man said as he tapped the head of his said 'pet'.

"Oh, but I assure you, the only business I have is with the one of you who is the Jinchuriki of the Hachibi. Don't worry though; _my _pet will have fun devouring you. Right, Samehada?" The blade appeared to giggle at its masters words.

"I am who you are looking for, Akatsuki scum." Killer Bee stated with a bored expression as he began to think of a rap to commemorate this event.

"Ah, at last, I finally get to meet the Jinchuriki of the Hachibi. Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself. I...am Hoshigaki Kisame, the monster of Kirigakure."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Naruto is the creation of that Kishimoto fellow, not me.

***Chapter 3 - ***

* * *

_"Ah, at last, I finally get to meet the Jinchuriki of the Hachibi. Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself. I...am Hoshigaki Kisame, the monster of Kirigakure."_

The air thickened with wave after wave of killing intent. Kisame's gaze was locked onto the tanned figure in front of him. Killer Bee merely continued to jot down things into his small notebook, almost completely un-phased by the murderous glare from the shark-like Akatsuki member. Seconds passed before Kisame's eye line was disrupted by an on-rushing animal, with its master stood in an offensive stance on its head. The enormous racoon grew closer to its prey, lunging in at the sinister looking man who just continued to stand still, unimpressed by the situation that was developing in front of him. Inches away from hitting its target, the beast flew backwards, crashing through the forest, uprooting everything in its path before eventually drawing to a halt.

"Ponta!" The monk-like figure screamed towards his beastly animal as it lay lifeless after the attack. His attention quickly turned back to the smirking Kisame, who now had Samehada positioned calmly over his shoulder. "Now have a taste of my passion!" His weapon, an enormous cleaver even greater in size than Samehada, rested on his shoulder, causing the ground beneath him to crack under such intense weight.

"You wish to interfere? Then so be it." Suddenly, Kisame shot off from his spot, racing towards his prey, as the man placed his overpowering cleaver in a defensive position. The excited look on Kisame's face as he raced towards him instantly subsided as he detected something approaching his head at rapid velocity. He somehow managed to evade the attack as a pencil brushed over his cheek, piercing a hole through the tree trunk that it hit behind him. _"Shit, good job I avoided that. I don't think it would have gone down well with Madara if he found I'd been killed by a fucking pencil." _Kisame's hesitance in his approach allowed for his opponent to wield the cleaver at the blue man's head. However, Kisame saw this and speedily jumped out of the way, landing on the weapons hilt as the blade had become lodged into a tree. The man didn't know what hit him as he was thrown back by the force of Kisame's kick. The sound of breaking bones could be heard as the kick impacted on the man's chest.

"Sabuchan!" Killer-Bee exclaimed as his master hurtled through the air, creating extremely unstable air currents as he moved. Ponta and Sabu lay motionless, Bee could barely even read their chakra as their life force began to fade. Chakra began to ooze from his pores; his body became enveloped in a darkened chakra. Tails began to form behind him as his emotions took over. In the blink of an eye, Killer Bee had made his move. In that mere second, he had managed to dig one of his blades into Kisame's shoulder, and another, aimed at his chest, had penetrated through the bandaged blade.

"Wow, you have really prettier eyes than I do...shame, I'll just have to remove them." Kisame sniggered at his remark as he looked into the eyes of his opponent. Their faces were inches apart, and Killer Bee couldn't understand why Kisame showed no pain in his expression. "If this is all you've got, I'm amazed Itachi's little prick of a brother couldn't defeat you." Kisame continued to mock him, goading him into attacking again. As both of Bee's hands were busy, he roared into action as he motioned his head in a way as to headbutt the missing Nin.

"_What, what is this feeling? M-my chakra is disappearing." _The attack on Kisame failed miserably. With the level of chakra he had begun the movement with, he fully expected to take the guys head off, but he almost didn't even connect as all power left him. "How? How could you do this? Answer me!" The angered Jinchuriki jumped back into a defensive stance as his new found weakened state took its toll.

"Oh, you realised a lot sooner than I would have liked. That would be my swords power." Bee tiredly lowered his gaze towards the sword, which began to move around violently underneath the bandages. Fin-like Spikes began to pierce through its restraints as it appeared to giggle uncontrollably. "It seems that Samehada has had time to digest your chakra...and now he wants the rest!" Like his sword, Kisame began to laugh as Bee looked on in horror as Samehada broke free of its bandages. It was nothing like anything he had ever seen. It wasn't a sword, it was a living being, complete with shark-like jaws with rows of pincer-sharp teeth. Shears jotted out in every direction, massively increasing the 'swords' reach, and destructive power. "Count yourself lucky, Jinchuriki of the Hachibi, Samehada rarely shows its true form to its victims." Bee could only look on in disbelief at what he was seeing.

"**Hurry, let me out Bee." **The Hachibi spoke out for the first time in the fight. The half ox-half octopus began to become agitated at the unfolding events.

"_No, Sabuchan and Ponta are still here. If we unleash our full power, the destruction would surely kill them both." _

"**This is hardly the time to worry about such things, if you don't let me out now you're going to die!" **

"_It's too dangerous. Besides, I'm supposed to be in-hiding; unleashing you will alert everyone to our presence. Lend me some of your chakra so I can try version two, if that fails then you will get your wish."_ The man spoke his words through the medium of rap, regardless of whether his words actually rhymed. The Hachibi's expression showed great detest for his ear piercingly painful hobby. In any case, the demon agreed and presented Killer Bee with enough of its power to transform.

"_Hm, what is this sensation? Even Samehada can sense it; he's getting far too excited."_ Black chakra engulfed Bee's body, welding itself into some form of a shield. As more chakra fused with his body, the pitch black figure transformed into a raging ox, with eight glorious tails swaying behind it. Although he had not fully transformed, he was able to control all eight tails of the Hachibi. "Impressive, but all this new power won't do you any good in this fight..." Kisame's words of advice were halted as the creature before him began to charge energy into its fist. A skeleton began to form over his shoulder as it charged at the unsuspecting missing-Nin. _"Shit, Same can't take in enough chakra!" _A blinding light cast over the surrounding area as the attack connected. As the dull glow of moonlight returned, Bee had reverted back to having only one tail. That didn't last much longer as he collapsed to one knee in exhaustion. He felt a little easier as he peered over to his opponent resting by a tree.

"It looks...like...this fight...is over." Bee managed to say before coughing up some blood. His breathing became heavier as the effects of using the Hachibi's chakra took its toll.

"You...got...me." Kisame's weakened reply was almost unreadable to human hearing. His right arm looked shattered, and his rib-cage had been completely destroyed. Blood poured out from the open casket that was formerly his chest. Bee managed to stand, pulling a sword from his back and slowly walked towards the defeated Kisame. Samehada edged its way towards its near-death wielder, Kisame's hand reached out grabbing hold of the hilt. Bee's eyes widened to a point that his glasses no longer hid them.

"H-h-how is this possible!" Bee removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes vigorously to make sure he wasn't dreaming. The misshapen bones cracked back into place and reformed into ribs. His blue skin began to regenerate over his chest. The previously shattered arm appeared to come to life again as it lifted up his regenerated body.

"As I said before, 'power won't do you any good in this fight'. My strength is directly proportional to my opponents, the weaker they become, the stronger I become. I'm afraid this is the end for you, Hachibi." Kisame stood tall, fully recovered, and began to close the gap between the two Nin. Bee remained stunned as the seemingly invincible Akatsuki member walked towards him.

"**This is pathetic, Are you honestly going to give up?"**

"_I can't, all my chakras are gone. Lend me what you can or this is the end for us." _The same blackened aura began to swirl around the scar-faced man; the fusing had begun to change his physique once again.

"I won't let you!" Kisame began to inhale a substantially large breath, pushing out his cheeks whilst forming a number of hand seals. "Suiton: Suikodan no Jutsu!" Water gushed out of his mouth, quickly transforming into the shape of a shark and shot off towards Killer Bee. Three of his tails transformed into tentacles and wrapped around him, protecting him from the oncoming attack. "Again, I find myself impressed by your ability to partially transform into the Hachibi. Very well, I think it's time to end this." The blackened creature looked on in dismay as Samehada began to merge with its wielder. **"No one has ever seen our final form!"**

"_What the hell is this guy?" _Bee thought to himself as he tried to think of a way to defeat his ridiculously difficult foe. The landscape was being quickly demolished by the taijutsu battle that ensued. Bee hastily made some room between the two, jumping backwards onto a branch. A black ball began to form in front of his mouth, with each passing second chakra was being forced into the object, causing it to quadruple in size. This appeared to be an all or nothing move by the Jinchuriki as it doubled in size yet again.

"Oh, and what does this do..." Kisame was cut off by the release of the jutsu. The swirling mass of chakra exploded forwards, shooting out like a laser beam in Kisame's direction. He was consumed by the darkened beam, which appeared to travel for miles, destroying anything in its path. Bee jumped to the ground, quickly reverting back to his normal form as the fatigue began to consume his weary body. "You missed..." Bee didn't have time to react as he was sliced across the chest by an on-rushing Kisame. He lay there, unable to move, out of chakra and completely at the disposal of Kisame, who by this time had reverted back to his original human-shark like form. "This was fun. I've not battled like this for a long time." He laughed as he stood over Bee, Samehada in hand as he began to carve away at the lower legs of his body.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhh...!" Bee screamed out in pain as his legs were sheared away up to the knee, before slipping into a state of unconsciousness through shock. The scream could be heard for miles around. Every bird in the wooded area quickly took flight and attempted to escape.

"I need you alive, doesn't mean I need you in one piece. Capture of the Hachibi...successful." Kisame pulled out a reel of tape, placing it over Samehada. He placed his demonic sword over his shoulder, calmly throwing Bee on top, and walked away with a well defined smirk.

* * *

"Did you hear something?"

"No? What did it sound like?" A young man turned to the girl who asked the question.

"A scream like from a long distance away." She replied unsure of herself.

"Maybe it was a scream of a beautiful girl who can feel my presence drawing nearer to Konoha. When I get there she will greet me with open arms and we will have amazing sex. Then we will fall in love. But what if she can't bear it when I have to leave and she takes her own life because she can't live without me?" The man looked to the ground as he got lost inside his own train of thought.

"Shut the fuck up Omoi! You're always over thinking things. We're not even at Konoha yet and you're already imagining all the sex your gunna get. Jeez!" The red-head verbally lashed out at her Kumogakure team-mate.

"Omoi, Karui, please calm down. I don't want to have to use force to separate you." The leader of the group spoke out, instantly stopping the bickering between the other two, who looked at each other with scared faces. "We should be coming up on the village any..." The group stopped, opening their jaws wide in unison as they looked at the destroyed gates to the village. "What's going on here? Omoi, Karui, weapons at the ready, the enemy could still be around." The group walked forwards with caution before a two man ANBU cell approached them from the shadows.

"State your business or leave this area immediately." The lead member with a dog mask ordered.

"We mean no harm. We are messengers sent directly by the Raikage with a letter addressed to the Hokage." Samui spoke out, slightly putting the ANBU on ease. "W-what happened here?"

"The village was destroyed by Akatsuki five days ago. This section of the village has not begun its reconstruction as of yet. I can get someone to take you to the Hokage if you require, but I don't think you will like what you see." Dog said to the Kumo-Nin. Samui simply nodded as the ANBU signalled for a Chuunin stood on the other side of the gate to show them to the hospital.

* * *

"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." One-hundred Naruto's appeared in a clearing besides the hospital, standing in rank. "Listen up. I want you to help out anywhere you can with the re-building, okay?"

"Hai!" The clones said on mass before darting off in different directions around the village. Naruto was left in the clearing with Hinata, Neji, Sai and Tenten. As there were no outgoing missions, every able Nin was to assist in the reconstruction.

"Are you sure you're up to using so many Kage Bunshin's Naruto?" Neji asked after catching the uneasy look coming from Hinata.

"Don't worry. I've spent the last four days sleeping, right Hinata?" He winked at her causing her to blush a fiery red colour as she knew all too well that he was lying.

"Y-yes Naruto-kun." She smiled back hoping no one noticed that she was lying to hide the fact he had snuck out with her the evening before. However, she wasn't aware of her father's discussion with Neji following her spar with Hanabi. Because Neji knew, Tenten knew, and because Tenten knew, everyone in the village knew. Between the gawping of Tenten and Sakura, their little secret wasn't much of one anymore. "So, where should we begin?" she quietly asked the group.

"_Hm, in one of the books I read it said that shy behaviour is common around someone you love. Maybe I should ask her about it." _The idiotic Sai thought to himself as he caught Hinata's reaction towards Naruto. "How about we help out Yamato-taichou? I'm sure he could do with some help, he's being worked to death because of his wood affinity." The group agreed and set off at a leisurely pace, talking between them as they walked. Hinata and Naruto made sure to reduce their conversation so that no one would suspect. "Uhm, Hinata? Do you love Naruto?" Sai politely asked Hinata, loud enough that the others could hear him.

"W-wha-what...I-I don't...know what yo-you're talking about." Hinata stuttered embarrassingly in response to Sai's dumbassed question. Everyone in the village knew that Hinata had the hots for Naruto, but Sai, being the socially retarded kind of guy that he was, put her in an awkward position.

"Because if you do, I hate to break it to you but Naruto has a really small Di..." Sai was stopped by a chakra filled kick by Naruto, who looked uneasily at the rest of the group, hoping that they didn't catch what he said, and if they did that they didn't believe it. Tenten burst out laughing; Neji even had a smirk on his face. Sai had nearly made the emotionless Hyuga crack. Hinata looked disappointingly at Naruto, hoping it wasn't true, whilst Naruto stood their trying to defend himself, shouting abuse wildly at the semi-conscious Sai.

The Kumo-Nins walked by the ruckus with their escort on route to the Hospital to visit Tsunade. "Wow, he's even more of a hot-head than you Karui." Samui joked with her team-member before being stopped by her Chuunin escort.

"That 'hot-head' is Uzumaki Naruto, Hero of Konoha, and don't you forget it." The Chuunin remarked, unhappy at the joke made by the Kumo-leader.

"He's the Hero of Konoha?" The group looked confused as they waited for an answer that never came. The group walked through the entrance of the hospital and towards Tsunade's room.

"Lady-Shizune, I have brought representatives from Kumogakure with an urgent message from the Raikage." The Chuunin bowed at the medical-Nin and left the group with her.

"This message is for the direct eyes of the Hokage only. Could you direct her to us please?" Samui pressingly asked Shizune. She simply stood aside and presented the Hokage, still in a coma. Shizune began to explain the current situation with the Hokage but, she was interrupted by a dark figure stood in the doorway.

"I'll gladly take that message from you. This woman is no longer Hokage, I am." The group turned to see Danzo stood there, waiting for the letter to be passed to him.

"What! You're the Hokage? How could the council do this to Tsunade-sama?" an Angry Shizune blasted the devilish man before he merely looked at her with the intent to kill. She looked to the ground and turned away, back to her patient as she slept peacefully.

"This was the will of the council in yesterday's emergency meeting. Acting as of this morning, I am the Rokudaime. Would you pass me that letter now please; I have to leave the village shortly." Danzo's pressing tone resulted in hesitance from Samui, but she reluctantly handed over the letter.

Shortly after skimming over the letter Danzo began to speak again. "Ah, that boy has been given far too much lee-way and should have been disposed of a long time again. If it wasn't for _her _inability to lead, this would never have happened." He aimed a disgusted look at the bed-ridden Tsunade and walked out of the room. The Kumo-Nins followed quickly behind.

"What are your orders on the matter concerning Uchiha Sasuke, Hokage-sama?"

"Dispose of him. You can use our facilities to look for any information you need. I will alert the Raikage of my decision when I meet him in two days in Tetsu no Kuni." Danzo left with his two bodyguards, both handpicked from 'Root'. Unfortunately for him, Kiba had been listening in on the whole conversation from a nearby room, quickly running out with Akamaru to alert Naruto of the events. The Kumo-Nins saw this and decided to follow up on this peculiar activity, splitting up to maximise information intake.

* * *

Zetsu appeared from the wall of the room in which Madara watched his plans come together. Madara was sat with _Taka_ awaiting the report from the half-man, half-plant. "It appears Kisame was successful in capturing the Hachibi." The white half said.

"The sick bastard cut off his legs though. Hopefully he won't bleed out before he returns." The black Zetsu added.

"Ah, excellent. Once he returns we will be able to seal him inside the Gedo Mazo with the other Biju's, leaving only your good friend Naruto." Madara said in such a way to taunt Sasuke into reaction.

"So what, you want us to capture that idiot?" Sasuke said bitterly, instantly looking for an answer from Madara.

"Not just yet my boy. He is not your target. I don't know if you've heard Sasuke, but Konoha has a new Hokage, by the name of...Danzo...Shimura." Madara just chuckled at Sasuke's reaction. His blood began to boil at such a name. Venom was dripping from his lips as his body tensed at such an opportunity.

"Sasuke, what is it? Who's this Danzo character?" Karin looked scared at Sasuke's reaction. She could feel the chakra inside him changing into something extremely menacing.

"...I will avenge my Brother!" Sasuke's anger began to grow further. The sheer thought of him made him think even more about his brother's plight.

"Karin, Jugo, I want you to go with Sasuke. Suigetsu, I want you to follow Zetsu to Kisame and assist him in any way possible. Understood?" Sasuke merely stood up and left, Karin and Jugo replied to Madara and left behind. You could see in Suigetsu's eyes that he was having much different Idea's to what Madara had planned for the meeting. _"This is going according to plan. Soon, Konoha will be destroyed, the Kyubi will be captured, and I will have control of this measly existence they call life."_

_

* * *

_

"Naruto...thank god I've found you." Kiba said tiredly.

"What's up Kiba?" Neji replied intriguingly.

"Naruto...you need to find Kakashi quickly, this is bad, very bad."

"Just spit it out Kiba!" Naruto began to get angry at Kiba's lack of explanation.

"It's Tsunade; she's been stripped of the title of Hokage. That's not all, She's been replaced by some Danzo guy, and his first act was to declare Sasuke a missing-Nin allowing for him to be disposed of!" Kiba took a breath and looked at Naruto's reaction. All the happiness Naruto had from the past few days had been stripped away in an instant. He looked hurt more than anything; firstly because the old hag had been removed from her birth right, and secondly because of the idea that Sasuke could be killed at any time.

"Danzo? I'm sure Hiashi-sama has spoken about him before. He was a bitter rival of the Sandaime." Neji inputted before looking back at Naruto. He hadn't seen him this down since Team seven returned from their mission to un-mask Sasori's informant, where they ran into Sasuke.

"Danzo is kind of my master." Sai hesitantly spoke as he saw everyone's face turn towards him. "He leads the 'Root' division of ANBU that I was trained in. "But before you ask me any details, I have already said all that I can."

"Well then, I'm just going to have to beat the information out of you then!" Naruto turned back angrily to face his so-called team-mate.

"Naruto-kun, please don't hurt him. He's telling the truth, I can read his body reaction." He turned around to the elegant Hinata, stood in an offensive stance waiting to attack Sai had he not of been telling the truth. Her Byakugan was active and was clearly reading every moment Sai was making. The look on her face calmed him down greatly; he knew that she could not lie to him.

"Very well then, I'm sorry Sai, I know it's not your fault." Naruto apologised for his aggressiveness and turned back to the group. "Neji, find Hiashi-sama and scrape any information you can from him. Tenten, go to the hospital and find out everything you can from Shizune. Hinata, Use your Byakugan to find Kakashi and tell him everything that's happened. Kiba, snoop around and find anything out that you can." Naruto had managed to think up a plan of action quite quickly and everyone broke off to complete their individual tasks. "Now I want you to tell me why you can't tell me anymore about that bastard Danzo."

"It's not that I don't want to Naruto, it's more that I honestly can't." Naruto looked confused as Sai just opened his mouth and rolled out his tongue. After a brief moment, a seal began to form. "This seal prevents any information on Danzo, or 'Root' from falling into enemy hands." Sai looked genuinely upset that he had let down his team-mate.

"Hey, you there in the orange jump-suit, provide us with the information we require. Something tells us that the foul smelling boy and his dog came to talk to you for a reason." Karui said menacingly.

"What information do you seek?" Sai replied in a smart-arsed fashion.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Tell us what we want to know or I'll kill you where you stand." She pulled out her sword and stuck it in the general direction of the two Konoha-Nins. Sai began to grab his katana from his back in response, but she pounced before he could even draw it from the sheath. Naruto pushed Sai out of the way as he was run through by her blade. She looked directly into his eyes as he looked back into hers. She felt the hatred that was being forced her way as the Naruto suddenly turned into smoke. _"What...How!"_

"RASENGAN!" Naruto screamed as he came down on her from above. She only just made it out of the way as his Jutsu crashed into the ground, forming a small crater. As the chakra subsided he back-flipped and landed next to Sai, who had began to pick himself up. "Explain yourself immediately! What does Sasuke have to do with Kumo-Nins?"

"Everything! That Akatsuki bastard captured our sensei!" Omoi shouted in reply to Naruto's question. Naruto's head dropped at what he had just heard. He couldn't believe what these people were telling him.

"Akatsuki...What do you mean Akatsuki?" Naruto's disbelief got the better of him. "You bastards!" His body began to shake uncontrollably. Naruto's head tilted upwards, his eyes were no longer their normal blue tint, his whiskers had transformed into deep ridges on his face. Blood red chakra began to radiate from his body.

"_Oh shit, this is not good!" _Sai silently shat himself as he felt the presence of the extremely unpleasant Nine-tails Chakra.

"Stop it Naruto-kun!" Hinata screamed from the edge of the street. Hearing her voice halted any further changes, and the chakra began to dissipate. Omoi and Karui looked towards the purple haired kunoichi as if to say 'thank you'. Hinata merely rushed towards Naruto, tackling him with a flying embrace. "Please calm down Naruto-kun. Let them speak." He looked down at her clearly upset face and stroked her hair away, apologising quietly in her ear.

"You are a Jinchuriki, are you not?" Omoi stated coolly at Naruto.

"Yes. What does that have to do with anything?" Naruto thought about it for a few seconds before it dawned on him what the link was. "Your master was one too right? That's why Akatsuki were after him?" He looked towards the two, who by this point had stood down and put their weapons away. "Tell me all that you know concerning Sasuke."

"Eye-witness reports show that a four-man cell, each wearing a black cloak with red clouds, was spotted fighting Killer Bee-sensei. The statement concludes that the lead member wore an under-shirt with the Uchiha family crest on the back. Reports have already been made showing that Uchiha Itachi is dead, therefore, the only conclusion would be Uchiha Sasuke was behind this." Omoi finished in the cool manner in which he started.

"That bastard captured our sensei. Tell us what we want to know!" Omoi's calm tone was ruined by his partner's hot-headed reaction. "If you're a Jinchuriki then you should understand what we're going through!" she continued to the point where she attempted to draw her sword, before she was instantaneously stopped by Samui forcing the sword back into its sheath.

"Enough with this foolishness. I have collected all the required information on Uchiha Sasuke. We're leaving now!" She turned back to Naruto, Hinata and Sai and bowed respectfully before the trio disappeared into thin air.

"Could you find Kakashi-sensei, Hinata-chan? Naruto quietly asked Hinata as she clung onto him.

"N-no, I'm sorry Naruto-kun. If he's in the village then he's well hidden." She replied shamefully that she was unsuccessful in her mission.

"It's okay Hinata-chan; he's probably busy reading Icha Icha Paradise somewhere. Hm, maybe I could track him down with my sage mode." Naruto motioned himself away from Hinata and sat on the floor in a calm state of meditation. A couple of minutes passed before Naruto's eyes opened, showing they were no longer a royal blue, but a distinctive orange colour, with even darker orange circles around the eyes to match. _"He's even sexier in Sage mode." _The shy Hyuga made a sly smile as she gazed at his toned physique. "You know, I can sense what you're thinking Hinata-chan." Naruto winked at her and blew her a kiss, knowing full well it would make her embarrassed, but he had a new found love of doing that to her. "You're right, I can't find him anywhere. But..." Naruto was stopped in his wake as he sensed another presence very near-by. _"Shit, I hope she didn't hear all of that with the Kumo-Nins, She'll be heartbroken." _Naruto vanished from the spot and reappeared next to Sakura's chakra. She was sat against a fence balling her eyes out. _"This is not a good sign."_

"Naruto-kun, how could Sasuke-kun have ended up like this? What do we have to do..." Sakura couldn't continue speaking any longer through her tears. All that could be heard was her crying. The sadness that Sakura was feeling began to weigh Naruto down as well. He just didn't know what he could do to help her. He wanted Sasuke back just as much as she did, if not more in some ways, but this new information Naruto couldn't take lightly. Sasuke had walked along the path of an avenger for too long now, his mind must have become suspect if he had joined Akatsuki. He just leaned down and sat beside her, putting a comforting arm over her. Moments later Sai and Hinata appeared to see the distraught Sakura being slowly calmed down by Naruto. The momentary jealously Hinata felt by their position quickly subsided as she was filled with regret.

"I-is there anything I can do to help, Sakura-san?" Sakura looked up to see an upset looking Sai; she had never seen him really show genuine emotion before.

"It's okay Sai, I'll calm down eventually." She smiled and to her amazement he smiled back, not one of those usual fake ones he does, but one with actual sincerity behind it.

"Yo! Someone told me you've been looking for me." Kakashi appeared above them, balancing on the fence overhead. After looking over the mixed emotions he felt something amiss.

"Kakashi-sensei, we've got some bad news." Naruto warned Kakashi before continuing. "Baa-chan has been stripped of her Hokage title, and...Sasuke...um- he's..." before he could get the words out, Kakashi finished it for him.

"...part of Akatsuki?" I know I've been gathering information from some of Jiraiya-sama's old sources. It would appear that Madara has him wrapped around his little finger. As for Danzo, there's no need to worry about it. His appointment may be effective immediately, but he needs the majority support of the Jounin's and ANBU before he can take the position entirely. Once he has returned from the Kage meeting in Tetsu no Kuni he will most likely lose his position." The group collectively sighed a breath of relief, knowing that sadistic bastard probably wouldn't remain in power long enough to change Konoha to suit his means.

"But what about Sasuke? Is there nothing that we can do?" Sakura asked in the hope for a positive answer.

"I'm afraid not, the order has been issued. The only way we can stop him from death would be to catch him ourselves, before anyone else could. The fact of the matter is, there is a possibly that he is too far gone, there may be no way that we can bring him back from this." Kakashi tried to be as positive as he could as he broke them the news, but he could tell they were still taking it quite hard.

"We're just going to have to try and get him back then. I refuse to give up on him." Naruto smiled and stood up. "I made a promise to Sakura that I wouldn't give up until I bring him back, and that's what I'm going to do, even if it kills me." He scratched his head and smiled at the current Team seven. "Now if you don't mind, I have other matters to attend to, right Hinata-chan?" he smirked and held out his hand in her direction. She blushed slightly and grabbed hold tightly as they walked off into the distance. Naruto stuck up his free hand, waving at his team-mates, not turning around to see the reply.

"Did anyone else know they were seeing each other? I honestly thought he was gay." A confused Sai turned to Sakura and Kakashi and was greeted by a thump to the head by the kunoichi.

"Of course you idiot, there's been rumours going around that there's been something going on between them since the Pain fight." She huffed at his lack of social understanding and made a gay joke about his attire, making him even more confused about it all. She placed an arm around him, saying a brief "thank you" before waving good bye to Kakashi and walked off towards the hospital. She was under the impression that work would keep her mind off Sasuke.

"So, do you want to get some food Kakashi-sensei?" Sai asked innocently, adding a smile to seal the deal.

"Um...I think I'll pass, goodbye." A rather scared looking Kakashi quickly disappeared from view as he tried to escape the homo-erotic vibes coming from the tight panted, crop-top wearing 'Root' member.

"_Hm, maybe he had somewhere else to be too." _Sai looked around in each direction as he was left to stand there by his team-mates. He sighed and headed back home to do some painting. Shortly after Sai had left the spot, Neji returned to find it empty. Just as he was about to leave Tenten returned also. They stayed for a short while before they realised that everyone else had completely forgotten about them. The pair sighed in unison and walked off towards training area four, where they were due to meet Lee and Gai-sensei for some team training.

* * *

Nightfall was upon Konoha once again. Naruto and Hinata were at training ground seven, having a late night picnic under the stars. No one was around, the air was still, and the moments were undisturbed by anyone. This time, Naruto had personally asked for Hiashi's permission to take his daughter away from her clan duties. His only request was that he didn't make it a daily occurrence, which was understandable. Hinata wore a pair of plain black sandals, with black skin-tight trousers and a stunning blouse that matched her lavender eyes. Naruto had a much more rugged approach, with his 'does-what-the-hell-it-wants-to' hair, a black top with a green leaf pattern on the back, and some baggy trousers. Hinata tucked into some of her home-made dumplings as Naruto began to speak.

"Do you think I should still pursue Sasuke after all that he's done?" He asked more for reassurance than anything. Since he had found out that Sasuke had become part of Akatsuki, he was so unsure of how he was supposed to act. "I mean, if he's joined Akatsuki, he may well be the next person to come after me." Hinata helped her food down with some juice as she thought of a reply.

"Naruto-kun, what does your heart tell you to do? Do you still think that Sasuke-kun will come back to the village willingly? He has already completed the goal he set out with all those years ago, yet he has just ended up following in his brother's footsteps down a path of despair and destruction." She crawled around the food so that she sat next to him, placing her arms cosily around his waist as she waited for a reply.

"Thank-you Hinata-chan, I'm glad you're honest with me. I'm so used to Sakura just telling me what she thinks I want to hear when it comes down to Sasuke. He used to be my best friend, but it just feels like he's so far gone that I'm never going to reach him." He sighed and lay back, dragging Hinata down with him as they looked up at the night's sky. A shooting star shot across their view, Hinata followed it with her finger, making Naruto smile for the first time since they started the conversation. "You know, they say that you should make a wish when you see a shooting star." He looked down at her as she leant up to him. "What did you wish for?" Their gaze drew their bodies closer, her hands wrapped around his neck, forcing his lips closer to hers...

"This." She whispered as she kissed him, biting his bottom lip gently as the kiss became firmer. She straddled him, holding his hands down above his head as her focus moved from his lips, onto his chin and slowly down his neck. _"No wonder Jiraiya always told me to look out for the quiet ones." _His thoughts were overwhelmed by her low-cut top. Her womanly figure caught his eye as she pressed her body against his._ "God dammit Jiraiya, your pervy ways have rubbed off on me." _The horny Hyuga released his hands as she began to run her fingers over his chest, whilst his hands closely followed along her waist, feeling her perfect hour-glass figure before he became fully aware of where Hinata's hands were wandering towards. "It seems that Sai was lying about you Naruto-kun." She seductively stated as he went into meltdown. _"I think I'm in heaven."_

_

* * *

_

Danzo was slowly on his way to the border of Hi no Kuni with his two bodyguards, Torune, and Fu. They were making good time as they would arrive ahead of schedule at this current pace. Although he was an elderly man with a walking stick, he could sure move when he wanted to. He boasted to them that they were the best in 'Root', which is why they were chosen. Laws of the meeting stipulated that no masks were to be worn by any member of the party, so their faces were on show for the first time in a number of years. There appearance clearly showed their clan allegiances. Fu's eyes were identical to that of Ino, and the Yamanaka clan, whereas Torune's high-collared jacket and mask, which covered the majority of his face, showed his ties to the Aburame clan.

"Fu, did you make sure to place a squadron on Naruto before we left?"

"Hai Danzo-sama." Fu nodded in respect to his master and continued on.

"Excellent Fu. Torune, did you send a squad out after Anko and Kabuto. We really can't afford to have any loose ends surfacing if I am to retain this seat as Hokage. Providing this conference goes well, the Jounin will have no choice but to accept me as Hokage." Danzo smiled as his twisted ideas appeared to have finally begun to come to fruition.

"Hai Danzo-sama. They are instructed to..." Torune was cut off from his explanation by something in the tree line.

"AMATERASU!"

* * *

Thankyou for reading, please take the extra time to review my work. I take time to read over them, and reply to any comments, good or bad.

Thanks again to all the people who have taken time to review, I really appreciate knowing that people enjoy my story. :)

It has come to my attention that some people are beginning to make out that i'm just trying to re-hash the canon. Although some parts of the story remain similar, I am trying to change aspects of the canon to create a new story for future chapters. This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic so please be a little patient as I get into the swing of it. :)

Uni starts again next week, so the chapter output might slow down significantly. Hopefully I will be able to bring out one, possibly two, before I go back.


	4. Chapter 4 Revenge

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...enough said

***Chapter 4 – Revenge***

"AMATERASU!" Sasuke screamed as he opened his left eye, unleashing his Mangekyo Sharingan. The area Danzo was walking in became quickly consumed by the black flames. Sasuke stood and watched as the three began to burn within the flames. He listened to their screams as he watched in bliss, knowing that he was one step closer to fulfilling his goal.

"I think they're dead Sasuke-kun, I can no longer sense their chakra." Karin said sheepishly. She seemed noticeably different around him. The lust in her eyes had faded and had been replaced by fear. She could see that he was no longer the boy she had fallen for when he saved her in the Chuunin exam. Sasuke turned to her with his Sharingan still active. Tears of blood began to trickle from it as he quickly extinguished the flames.

"Hm, I thought he would have been a bit of a challenge." Sasuke sighed and looked towards the heavens. _"One down Niisan, soon you will have your revenge." _

"You seriously underestimate the power of a Hokage, Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke, Karin and Jugo swiftly turned to see Danzo stood behind them, with Fu and Torune at his flanks, surrounded by a full platoon of 'Root'. "You did well to track me, but your killer intent could be felt a mile away. We've known you've been tracking us for some time." Danzo said smugly, rolling up his right sleeve, showing Sasuke a lock mechanism on his arm.

"You will die here today Danzo. The Uchiha clan will have their revenge." Sasuke's blood began to boil. Lightning began to surround his body as his chakra spiked.

"I'd like to see you try, but first, you have to get past my loyal army. Fu, Torune, give me some time to prepare."

"Hai!" the pair said as they rushed forwards with the other fifteen Nin dressed in classic ANBU attire. Danzo stood back from the action and began to create a large number of hand seals.

"Fu, you take the girl with Dog and Tiger, I'll take the other with Wolf and Bear. The rest of you have Sasuke. Is that understood?" Torune looked back at the masked group, who all nodded in unison at the bug user. Jugo and Karin both jumped back into the clearing behind them, but Sasuke stood his ground, knowing that they could handle themselves.

"There are only eleven of you, this shouldn't take long." He smirked and didn't even activate his Mangekyo as he pulled Kusanagi from its sheath. After a brief moment the sword became fused with chakra. Electricity appeared to run down the blade before Sasuke disappeared right before their eyes. The group took up a defensive formation in an attempt to block off an attack.

"Hawk, can you sense his chakra?" A guy in a raven mask asked hurriedly, wanting to know the missing-Nins whereabouts.

"Yes, he's..." The girl wearing the Hawk mask was stopped as a blade stuck through her chest. Sasuke was now stood perfectly in the middle of the group, directly behind Hawk as he charge lightning through her body. She screamed for a brief moment before she fell to the ground.

"Who's next?" Sasuke's eyes were black, emotionless. Blood was dripping off the blade as he pulled it out of the lifeless body. He stood there waiting for a reply from the remaining ten, but they just looked on in shock at his speed. "Very well, let's end this quickly. Chidori Nagashi!" Sasuke exclaimed as his body began to be covered in an electrical current.

"_Shit this is bad." _"Fall back!" Raven screamed at his squad as he jumped away from the Uchiha. But the order came too slowly. The battle-field became enveloped in lightning. Four of his troops were caught in the Jutsu, as the others managed to escape. Those who were caught were subjected to the torture of the technique. Sasuke made sure that each current avoided any vital points, watching them suffer as their body was pierced by his attack. Streams of blood poured out of their gaping wounds as they struggled to get free.

"Chidori Senbon!" Sasuke had his fill of torture and ended it in an instant. Hundreds of chakra needles launched at the injured Nin, tearing into their skin at such speed that they flew backwards. Sasuke looked at the blood stained ground and smirked. "Hm, now there are only six of you. I hope that you put up a fight." Sasuke's Sharingan flared as he let out a wicked laugh, causing some of the 'Root' Nin to shudder in fear at the merciless Sasuke.

Raven and another man sporting a snake mask jumped down from the trees. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Raven screamed after forming a number of hand seals. This was quickly followed by another scream by Snake.

"Fūton: Kazekiri!" The two combined causing the great fireball to double in power with the addition of the wind element. The enormous fireball raced towards Sasuke, who stood eagerly awaiting the assault.

"Interesting, but that will not work on me. Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu!" Sasuke built up chakra before quickly releasing an overpowering dragon formed from fire. The two fire Jutsu's hurtled towards each other. The connection caused a massive explosion. Fire rained down from the sky, catching the attention of both Karin, and Jugo.

Jugo was taking on all six of the 'Root' Nin as Karin was not a fighter. She was merely working as Jugo's back up, throwing shuriken and kunai whenever possible. The explosion died down but smoke covered the area.

"Karin, check for Sasuke's chakra. Is he okay?" Jugo had not yet transformed using his innate ability, and was still fairly lucid. Karin looked towards the smoke and checked for the familiar chakra of Sasuke.

"Yes, he's fine, but he's surrounded." Karin said as she threw another shuriken at an advancing Nin. Jugo turned and nodded, signifying he had heard her. When he turned back he was hit full on in the chest by an open palmed Torune. The tall red-head staggered backwards as he took the hit. Suddenly he fell to the ground, gripping his chest in pain as his pale skin began to turn black. "Jugo!" Karin screamed as her team-mate screamed out in agony. She realised quickly that it was a poison and that there was nothing she could do for him. She turned back to the six Nin as they circled her, each pulling out a katana. There was nothing that she could do; she was a healer and a sensor, not a fighter. As a last gasp attempt to defend herself, she pulled out two kunai from her pouch and gripped them tightly as she was encircled.

"**I'm going to enjoy killing you!" **The group turned to see a monster staring them down. It bore the remains of Jugo's Akatsuki cloak, but it didn't in any way resemble the man. His skin had transformed somewhat into a hardened scale, with sharpened juts coming from his elbows. Pistons cut through the material on his back and his left hand had transformed into an axe. His hair had changed colour and his eyes were filled with murderous intent. **"Kill, kill, kill, kill!" **No other words could be made out anymore other than his overwhelming desire to kill.

The group quickly forgot about Karin and went after this unknown monster, resulting in a resounding sigh of relief coming from her as she realised she was still alive, at least until Jugo had finished with them that is. The hot pant wearing Nin quickly jumped away from the battle and hid in the tree-line, keeping a close eye on Jugo whilst monitoring Sasuke's chakra.

"Kikaichu Tsumoji!" Bugs began to rapidly exit Torune's body, creating a swarm around him. They quickly sought out their target and began to swirl around him, attempting to eat away at Jugo's body. Jugo let out a deafening scream as chakra swirled around him, destroying the invading insects. This was quickly followed by two dragons, one of water, and one of lightning, crashing into the disturbingly strong Jugo. He stood his ground and took the attack, it didn't even scratch him. In an instant he had grabbed hold of Fu by the head, and began to squeeze. Two masked figures rapidly approached from his left with their swords at the ready but Jugo blocked their attacks with his axe hand. He used Fu as a weapon and swung him around, knocking one of the figures to the side. The other stood his ground and attempted to force a kunai at Jugo's head. The kunai impacted on Jugo's cheek, but the metal merely shattered on contact.

"**I WILL KILL YOU!" **Jugo kept Fu in his right hand, by this time he was already unconscious, and pulled his left away from the Nins attack. In a split second he had swiped at the Nin, slicing across his chest. The masked figure staggered backwards before his body fell into two. A pool of blood formed as the Nin bled out. The white-haired demon felt someone behind him, quickly transforming his left arm back to normal; catching the onrushing Dog masked Nin with his free hand. Pistons quickly grew from his elbow joint and with a sudden movement, Fu and Dog's heads were crushed. Blood smothered Jugo's face as he laughed hysterically, dropping the headless corpses to the ground. All that remained was Torune and Wolf, Tiger was alive but unconscious.

Wolf quickly formed a number of seals before releasing his Jutsu. "Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu!" Another water dragon raced towards Jugo who merely raised his fist as it transformed into a hammer, punching with such force that the dragon was destroyed. Jugo was quickly upon Wolf, who raised his katana to defend the attack, but Jugo was just too strong. His punch shattered the Nins defences and the hammer struck blow after blow. The man's skull quickly shattered, but he kept launching blow after blow until all that remained was a puddle. Torune was exhausted, he had used all of his colonies and knew that his poisons were ineffective.

"This ends here. I must protect Danzo-sama at all costs." Torune tiredly stated before forming some hand seals. His body quickly began to expand to its critical mass. "Release!" The area quickly became engulfed in a massive explosion. Jugo and Karin were both caught within the limits of the attack. A crater emerged when the smoke lifted and the dust had settled. The tree line Karin was hiding in had been completely eradicated. Unbelievably, Jugo was lay on top of Karin; even in his demonic second stage he had found the humanity inside him to protect her from the explosion. His back had been ripped apart, gaping wounds were pouring with blood as shrapnel stuck out of his battered body. Karin managed to push him off her and tried her best to keep him alive, offering her arm as he bit down. Karin winced as her chakra was sucked out by Jugo, before she collapsed at his side.

Sasuke noticed the explosion but didn't pay any attention. He had no concern for either of his team members, all that mattered to him now was Danzo's head on a pike. The missing Nin stooped down over another body before thrusting his blade through their head, just to make sure they were dead. Only two remained now, Raven and a female wearing a Cat mask. The pair looked tired and out of chakra, Raven had blood streaming from a sword wound on his side but it didn't stop him from attacking Sasuke. The two clashed in the battlefield, the sound of metal colliding was all that could be heard. Raven quickly began to tire in his attacks, but the relentless Sasuke caused him to keep up his guard.

"Sogu: Tensasai!" The Cat masked girl screamed as she threw three scrolls in the air. Wave after wave of weaponry shot out from each. A downpour of Shuriken, Kunai, and bladed weapons rained down on Sasuke and her team-leader. Raven heard the Jutsu being called and jumped out of the way, leaving Sasuke in the Jutsu's wake. A slight smirk appeared on Sasuke's face as he looked up at the hundreds of projectiles about to hit him. He blinked casually, but when he reopened them his eyes had changed. The Mangekyo was active in both eyes and he looked up once again. The weapons crashed down on his position and copious amounts of smoke and dust reared up into the atmosphere. The two Nins were blinded by the current conditions and waited anxiously for the results.

"Did we get him?" Raven asked Cat nervously, who simply shrugged her shoulders as she picked up her scythe. Eventually the smoke cleared and they could not believe their eyes. Sasuke stood in a small crater, surrounded by weapons, with his arms folded. That wasn't even the sight they were shocked at. Ghost-like ribs were surrounding his body, as a partially formed figure stood tall above him. Whatever weapons that would have been on target were stuck into this skeletal-puppet-like figure. Sasuke didn't hesitate at the opening that was given, rapidly forming hand seals before holding out his hands, and two spears of lightning shot out at the two masked figures. Neither had the strength to evade the attack, causing both to be hit head-on. One went through Ravens heart, the other hit Cat's mask, forcing her backwards, impaling her on to a tree.

A slow clap could be heard from within the tree line. "Well done Sasuke, no wonder you managed to kill Orochimaru. You are a heartless, merciless little man. If only you had joined 'Root' all those years ago, you could have been my precious weapon. But now, I'm afraid you will die!"

Moments later Danzo appeared through the trees. Sasuke was in shock at what he saw. The man's arm was covered in Sharingan. "I am going to enjoy killing you Danzo." Sasuke's eyes flared again as he began to charge.

* * *

Snow fell on the Tetsu no Kuni as Samurai stood in full combat attire, waiting for the arrival of the five Kages to their land. It was a beautiful land, untouched by war in decades as they often remained a neutral nation from the ninja wars. Aside from the fact that they bordered with a few ninja filled nations, they had almost no ties to that world. Their military was based around an entirely different culture, using Samurai instead of Ninja. The land itself could be found inside of the 'Three Wolves' mountains, three oddly shaped mountains that plateau at the summit.

Three shivering individuals appeared at the iron gates of a pyramidal shaped building, two males, and one female. The young man in the middle, a relatively short red-head carrying a large gourd on his back walked slightly ahead of the two who flanked him. Two Samurai stood guarding the entrance as the large wooden doors behind them swung open. A tall elderly figure with a long flowing beard and bandages wrapped around his forehead walked out towards the travelling trio.

"Ah, we've been expecting you Kazekage-dono. My name is Mifune and I am the acting general of Tetsu no Kuni. It is a pleasure to meet you." The man bowed respectfully before the man and his entourage.

"Greetings, I am Gaara, the Kazekage. These are Temari and Kankuro, my escorts and siblings. If you don't mind, could we continue the conversation inside? We are not used to such cold weather." Gaara spoke through his jittering teeth as Mifune laughed slightly before quickly ushering them into the warmth.

The group walked into the entrance hall, looking around at the number of Samurai stationed, obviously the security was overly tight due to the importance of the guests that would be visiting. Gaara brushed the snow off his robe before walking into the main chamber, where the Raikage, Mizukage, and Tsuchikage were waiting silently with their bodyguards. All they were waiting for now was Konoha's representative.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon in Konoha, the sunlight beamed down onto the streets and through the trees, casting shadows on the ground. Considering the events of the past week or so, Konoha was peaceful. Construction had been halted for a day of rest, well at least for some anyway. Naruto was training with his shadow clones, working on his taijutsu in case Hyuga Hiashi wanted a demonstration of his skills after the meal he had been invited to at the Hyuga compound. This was one of the few times Naruto was actually nervous about something. He had only briefly spoken to Hiashi in the past, and he was worried that he would mess up in some stupid way in front of him. He wanted to impress him, whilst making sure that he kept Hinata happy.

"Yo, one of your Kage Bunshin's came and found me before. Is something wrong?" Kakashi asked the thirty Naruto's that were brawling tireless with a single topless Naruto. The singled out Naruto looked up to his sensei and dispelled the other clones, walking over to him as he towelled himself off.

"Afternoon Kakashi-sensei, I hope I didn't take your perverted eyes away from one of Ero-Sennin's books?" Naruto laughed slightly at the embarrassed look on Kakashi's face as he sat beside him.

"You know me too well Naruto. You look a bit nervous, is everything alright?" Kakashi shared a humoured moment with his student before getting serious.

"I was wondering if you could spar with me for a little while. I wanted to work on my Frog Kumite but I'm afraid of asking anyone else in case I hurt them. You're the strongest person in the village, so I thought you might be interested." Naruto asked quietly, hoping for a yes as he sat down in meditation.

Kakashi looked confused at Naruto's request. It had been quite a while since he had personally asked him for some training. He brushed past the nostalgia after a short while and put down his orange book, knowing that he wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting away with having a cheeky read whilst he thought with the blonde haired youngster. He wasn't as predictable as he used to be, and he had never fought someone who used Frog Kumite, well, except for the time he caught Jiraiya perving on Rin and himself.

"Sure, just let me prepare myself." Kakashi responded uneasily, knowing that there was a good chance he was going to get flattened. However, it was a perfect opportunity to see how strong his student had truly become.

Naruto opened his eyes showing off his yellow pupils verifying he was in Sage mode. Although his face only changed very slightly when he entered Sage mode, he looked like an entirely different person. He looked over to see Kakashi doing some weird kind of warm-up, almost like he was about to run one hundred laps with Gai-sensei. Kakashi stood tall, secured his mask and took a standard taijutsu stance, goading Naruto playfully into attacking him just like he used to. However, the attack never came. Naruto calmed his breathing and fully prepared himself before turning to his sensei and bowing courteously.

"_He's growing up fast." _Kakashi thought to himself before racing forwards towards Naruto, launching a fist at him. Naruto had his eyes closed as the attack came, but somehow managed to sense it and dodged easily. The silver haired Jounin just looked on in disbelief as he fired a volley of kicks and punches, each being blocked by the blind Naruto. Suddenly he opened his eyes and fired a fist straight at Kakashi's chest. In response, the Jounin quickly jumped back to avoid the attack. The young Sage didn't let him rest up, arriving at his landing spot in a flash, causing Kakashi to go straight onto the defensive. Naruto faked a punch with his left, and quickly followed with his right. Kakashi caught the right, but was forced back by the sheer power behind it.

"God, you're more of a handful than Gai with the fourth gate open." Kakashi jeered as he realised he was being too soft on him. He picked up the pace and disappeared into thin air, attacking from above with an axe kick, but Naruto was fully prepared, catching his attack and throwing him backwards into a tree. Kakashi picked himself up and shook off the cobwebs before returning to the firing line. He managed to land a punch on Naruto's shoulder, but it had no effect. Unfortunately for Kakashi, Naruto connected with his stomach and shot him backwards into the wall.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you okay?" Naruto looked horrified at his sensei's body, which had travelled through the wall and lay lifeless in a crater. Naruto caught a quick whiff of chakra behind him as he blocked a double attack by Kakashi and a Kage Bunshin.

"I'm impressed that you managed to sense my chakra, and block my attack." Kakashi said as he dispelled his Kage Bunshin and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Well done Naruto, you've become stronger than most of the village, maybe even me." The praise Kakashi gave caused Naruto to smile as he scratched his head in embarrassment. The pair sat down and relaxed, more so that Kakashi could catch his breath.

"Kakashi-sensei, do you think that Sasuke can be stopped from his path?" Naruto asked solemnly as he put his head in his hands and sighed.

"I would like to hope so Naruto, but I don't think his reasons for following Itachi's path will be as black and white as you think. There's a good chance that someone is manipulating him for his own purposes. Sasuke has always been an avenger, but with Itachi dead, he should have fulfilled his goal. Something or someone must have changed him." Kakashi looked to Naruto who picked his head from his hands and looked towards the sky as if he was remembering something.

"Did you know who my father was Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked bluntly as he continued to look towards the heavens. Kakashi just looked at him with dead eyes. There was no way he could lie about such a thing to him anymore. "It's okay if you don't tell me, the old man probably ordered everyone to keep it a secret from me. I spoke to him during the Pain fight. He's the one that stopped me from breaking the Kyubi's seal, and is probably the one who should get the praise for saving the village because of that."

"Yo-you spoke to the Yondaime?" Kakashi looked stunned as Naruto just nodded. Naruto took this as a sign that he knew who his father was and he continued on.

"I think I understand now why you were my sensei. You wanted to make me strong like my father, right Kakashi-sensei? I know he was your sensei when you were young." Kakashi just smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair, it had seemed like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Yes Naruto, Minato was my sensei. When I heard about you, I was shocked. I've watched over you all your life; it was only natural that I became your teacher when you graduated from the academy. I'm sorry that I was never able to tell you, but it was the Sandaime's order to keep it a secret from you, and that order died with him." Kakashi felt sorry that all this had only just come out now. He had been a part of his life for four years and only now was talking with him about it.

"It's okay Kakashi-sensei, I understand." Naruto just smiled, which caused Kakashi to ease greatly, knowing that Naruto didn't hate him for not telling him.

"Did he tell you anything when you spoke to him?" Kakashi asked intriguingly, knowing that his father told him many things in their brief meeting before the gates of the afterlife.

"I think I know who's controlling Sasuke. My father told me that the Kyubi attack sixteen years ago was down to the actions of Uchiha Madara." Kakashi's face plummeted as he heard the name.

"There's no way that can be possible, Uchiha Madara was one of Konoha's founding fathers, and was defeated by the Shodai at the Valley of the End." Kakashi grew confused at this information.

"He told me that he's the member of Akatsuki that wears the swirling mask. He's supposed to have tried to take control of the Kyubi on the day I was born, and he has an affinity with time-continuum Jutsu's." Naruto looked up again trying to think about anything he had missed, eventually realising he had got it all.

"_Him? How is that even possible? He should be nearly one hundred, and that guy didn't sound much older than thirty. Though it's possible if he can use time-space Jutsu's like Minato-sensei." _Kakashi thought on Naruto's information for a short while before standing and stretching out a bit.

"You're becoming so much like your father, you will surpass him in no time." Naruto smiled at Kakashi's words as his sensei walked back towards the village. "Oh, and another thing, don't be nervous about tonight. Your taijutsu has greatly improved. Just don't use your Frog Kumite; you don't want to destroy the Hyuga compound as soon as it's been fully rebuilt."

"How...how did you know about that?" Naruto was stumped at Kakashi's knowledge.

"Let's just say we have both learnt certain skills from the same person." He joked and then disappeared. Naruto lay down again, looking up at the clear blue sky as he waited for one of the most nerve racking nights of his life.

* * *

Sasuke charged quickly at Danzo with a Chidori charged into his fist. He struck his fist directly through his chest before the elderly man even had a chance to react.

"Ah, Chidori. That's to be expected considering you were Hatake Kakashi's student." Danzo was now stood twenty yards away from where Sasuke was.

"What, how is that possible? I connected with my Chidori." Sasuke turned to face where the voice was coming from. He was confused, he was positive that his jutsu had connected with Danzo's chest; he could feel his blood dripping out onto his wrist.

Before Sasuke could react, Danzo was in close quarters, firing numerous senbon at such close proximity. He nipped his thumbs and flicked the blood over the seals on his wrists, allowing for large amounts of shuriken to fire at Danzo. The two attacks cancelled themselves as Sasuke jumped backwards. The acting Hokage didn't let up and charged chakra into his fist as he darted forwards, thrusting at Sasuke's chest. The attack was stopped short by something Danzo truly didn't expect.

"Hm, so you can use Susanoo as well. You truly are Itachi's blood-kin, but his was far more effective than yours I'm afraid. You will always be in his shadow." Danzo smirked as he pulled out an explosive tag and stuck it to Susanoo before jumping backwards. The explosion was completely ineffective, but Danzo expected it to be. He reappeared at Sasuke's side and thrust a chakra blade towards his kidneys. Again, Susanoo protected Sasuke who attempted to use Tsukuyomi on Danzo and place him into a genjutsu, but it didn't work.

"Do not speak his name you bastard. You are the reason he killed our clan. I will get my revenge!" Sasuke lashed out with his Kusanagi blade and sliced off Danzo's Sharingan filled arm, but he merely reappeared next to him with his arm still in place.

"_How is this even possible? I should have finished him twice now but he has evaded both attacks. Am I already in his genjutsu? No, my body isn't reacting like it is. That's strange, two of the Sharingan eyes have closed since we begun, no three." _Sasuke began to realise that Danzo's ability to survive attack after attack was due to the Sharingan, but he did not know how to defeat such a technique. He drew his sword again and attacked freely. It was useless, even if he managed to land a blow on Danzo, he simply reappeared unhurt.

"Futon: Shinkuugyoku!" Danzo exclaimed as he fired several small pockets of wind chakra at Sasuke, who merely dodged the attack and fired a volley of fireballs towards his opponent, engulfing him before he surfaced again, unscathed. In retaliation he quickly performed a number of hand seals before a blade of wind flew towards Sasuke, who jumped over it and rapidly closed in on Danzo. He thrust his chakra charged blade through the elderly man's body, slicing him in two as he jumped down into the crater that had been formed by Torune. "It's no use, you cannot defeat me." Danzo lacked emotion as he spoke from above, once again lacking any injuries.

Sasuke tried again to use his Tsukuyomi on Danzo as he flared his Mangekyo at him. It appeared to work as Itachi appeared to form in front of him, holding him from close range as he unleashed his Amaterasu. Sasuke used this as a diversion as he took Danzo from behind.

"As I said before, your skills with the Mangekyo are much below your brothers. It was a commendable attempt though." Danzo smirked as he dismissed the genjutsu and activated the seal he had placed on Sasuke in an earlier volley of attacks. The Uchiha's body was paralysed with his sword inches away from connecting with Danzo's spine. He reached down to the sword and pried it from his still hands, swinging it at his motionless head. Sasuke's eyes shot open with both his Mangekyo active, blood streaming from both his eyes as Susanoo appeared in a completed form, blocking the attack and forcing Danzo backwards.

"Argh!" Sasuke screamed tiredly as his eyes felt like they were burning out of his skull. _"I've over-used my eyes. I'm starting to go blind. Only four of his Sharingan are still open, I've only got to hold on until they all close." _Sasuke was reaching his limit, but Susanoo was now in its completed form, meaning that it was now an offensive, as well as a defensive weapon. The demonic figure loaded its crossbow like weapon and fired a large chakra fuelled arrow at the weakening man. He had no time to move and the attack was too quick for him to form any hand seals. The man merely muttered something under his breath as his right arm began to transform into a tree. The transformation caused Susanoo's projectile to be nudged away from a critical area. Danzo looked like his energy had left him completely as his arm quickly separated from the tree. Susanoo drew out another arrow and fired it, but this time Danzo had time to prepare and formed a number of hand seals before the arrow struck him directly in the sternum.

"Impossible! How the hell are you still alive you bastard?" An angry Sasuke panted as he attempted to catch his breath. His chakra was running low and his eyesight was rapidly deteriorating. The young Uchiha managed to see that only two of the eyes remained open, and had worked out that he had to hold on for only a few more minutes.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Danzo slammed his hand on the ground and a large elephant like creature appeared, opening its mouth wide, sucking everything in the area in like a vacuum. Sasuke struggled to keep his footing as Susanoo began to be sucked into the summoned animal. Danzo used this to search for weak spots in Susanoo's armour, but it didn't last long. The teen pulled his hands together and formed a number of seals, before releasing a huge fireball of chakra that was sucked up by the Baku. The creature suddenly disappeared and Susanoo's fist shot out at Danzo forcing him backwards. The Hokage stood up again, unhurt, but extremely fatigued as only one eye remained open. He pulled out a Kunai and appeared to blow chakra onto it, creating a chakra sword. The two met as their chakra fused blades connected. It was a stalemate, neither advanced and they jumped back.

"It looks like your time is up." Sasuke smirked before he dropped to his knees, coughing out blood.

"I could say the same for you." Danzo stooped over, clearly tired. The two stared each other down before Sasuke launched a Chidori Eisoo at Danzo. In an instant the man had disappeared and was now stood next to Sasuke, with his blade in his gut. Sasuke spat out some more blood as he felt the blade inside him. Sasuke looked up to see that the elderly figure no longer had bandages covering his left eye.

"Another Sharingan? You sick bastard!" Sasuke squirmed as he collapsed to the floor.

"Yes, this one is more special than the others. You see, this belonged to Uchiha Shisui, best friend of your brother." Danzo smirked as he kicked the bloodied body beneath him. "Now, if you don't mind, I have somewhere I must be." Danzo turned away and didn't get five steps before he had stopped.

"It's over Danzo. The Uchiha clan has its first taste of revenge with your death!" Sasuke stood in Danzo's shadow. He could see his own heart beating in front of his face as it was held in the hand that had torn through his chest. Sasuke squeezed it until it burst in his face, but by this time, his enemy was already dead.

"Bravo, bravo. What an excellent performance Sasuke." Madara came from out of the shadows and congratulated his Akatsuki companion. "Hurry and gather your team, I'll grab Danzo's body. I can take you back to the base but there is somewhere else I need to be." Madara waited for Sasuke to return with Jugo and a lifeless Karin, thrown over Jugo's shoulders, before the masked leader used his teleportation Jutsu to take them back to the base.

* * *

Five frustrated people sat with bored faces, looking at the sixth empty seat around the circular table. Each member had their Kage hat placed in front of their position and were bickering like old women.

"That damn Slug Hime, she's probably busy gambling away Konoha's funds in some bar instead of fulfilling her duty to be at this meeting." The shrivelled up Tsuchikage stated bitterly, showing the lack of respect you would expect from the leader of a rival village.

"That bitch better get here soon, I want to beat her senseless for letting that little prick Uchiha kidnap my little brother!" The Raikage was expectantly furious that a Konoha missing Nin was now involved in Akatsuki, and had been the one that was caught 'catching' Killer Bee.

"Hmph, you can't blame the Hokage for the actions of a selfish child. Tsunade has been a great Hokage who has easily maintained the alliance with my country." Gaara inputted trying to defend Tsunade from the two men at the table.

"Button it you little speck of dust! You are too young and too disrespectful to be the Kazekage."

"Yet I am the one sat here wearing the Kazekage robes. And you are too old and too disrespectful to be the Tsuchikage, yet I do no complain." Gaara said calmly, causing the female Mizukage to laugh quite loudly, earning glares from the other men at the table.

"Please, could everyone calm down? I'm sure the Hokage will be here shortly." Mifune asked tiredly leaning back into his chair, like a teacher trying to calm down hyperactive children.

"No, I'm afraid they won't." The group turned instinctively to the formerly empty seat at the table, where a cloaked figure sat. "Hello everyone." The man said happily as he waved at the shocked faces in the room. The Raikage did not hesitate and lunged at the Akatsuki figure, but his attack just phased through the man's body, and he crashed into the wall behind. Gaara was next to attack as he unleashed his sand and smothered the masked man, before clenching his fist. This time, no blood shot out of the desert coffin.

"Who are you? Answer immediately or face the wrath of five Kages and the whole Samurai army." Mifune stated with his blade at the ready.

"Please, everyone be patient. I would have told you sooner if you hadn't of attacked me so harshly." Madara coyly looked around and waited for the group to grow silent before speaking again. "I am Uchiha Madara, leader of the Akatsuki." His voice dropped considerably from a second ago as the faces of the Tsuchikage, the Raikage, and the Mizukage dropped in amazement.

"Impossible! Uchiha Madara died decades ago, and if he didn't, he would be as old, if not older than I." The Sandaime Tsuchikage stated in disbelief at such an accusation.

"What proof can you give that you are whom you speak of?" Gaara asked patiently. Since he had become Kazekage, he had calmed down significantly, possibly due to the fact he could actually sleep now he no longer had the Shukaku sealed within him.

"Hello there, my precious Jinchuriki. You look well considering you should be dead." Madara smirked before continuing. "Sadly no, I have little proof aside from the fact that I possess the Sharingan. All I can say is that it is up to you whether you believe that is my Identity." On cue his Sharingan glared through the single hole in his mask, causing the group to begin to take the man very seriously.

"Where the fuck is my brother, you sick bastard!" The Raikage threw another punch in anger as Madara simply let the attack phase through him.

"Now, now, not to worry. You can have his body back once we have sealed the Hachibi away. I'm sure it will be a nice funeral. Though you may need to get a smaller coffin, Kisame cut off his legs." Madara laughed as the Raikage slumped back in his chair in realisation that his brother was most likely not going to be found before they sealed him away.

"Kisame? I thought that Sasuke had captured the Hachibi?" the long hair Mizukage asked probingly as she realised something was amiss in his words.

"Yes, yes, initially Sasuke and his group were sent to find him, but he failed and Kisame had to mop things up. However, you shouldn't keep him out of your thoughts just yet. The reason I'm sat here and not the Hokage, is because Sasuke just killed Danzo on his way here." The group looked up as if the man was talking nonsense.

"Sasuke just killed Danzo? Where the bloody hell is Tsunade? Tsuchikage was confused, as was everyone in the room.

"Wow, you guys really don't know anything do you?" he retorted gleefully. "Konoha was destroyed almost a week ago by one of my group. Tsunade was put into a coma, and as of yesterday, Danzo was acting Hokage. Konoha is in ruin, and they've lost two Hokage in a matter of days. Easy pickings, wouldn't you say Tsuchikage? I just thought I would share the word before I start my plan to take over this petty world. Goodbye all." Madara disappeared into a vortex, leaving an empty chair again.

"How the hell is that possible! Konoha is one of the strongest villages, and it was destroyed by a single member of Akatsuki? Surely we cannot just take his word on this." The Mizukage was more enthused in the debate now as she saw a significant weakness to the summit. Without the forces of Konoha, any alliance would be significantly weakened.

"I agree with the Mizukage. We cannot take anything that man said without proof. With your permission, I would like to investigate this further. We cannot have a Kage meeting without a representative from the only remaining nation that contains a Biju." Gaara eloquently laid out the request to the group, waiting for a vote.

"I agree with your request Kazekage-dono." The Mizukage stated openly.

"As do I." Mifune followed suit.

"I, A, Yondaime Raikage of Kumogakure also agree with Kazekage, Gaara." He spoke with the overwhelming desire to avenge his brother, and he knew the only way to do that would be with the help of Konoha.

"I disagree. We should discuss this weakened position in more detail. We could easily take control of the village and take care of the Biju that way." Tsuchikage schemed but none of the group agreed with the Iwa leader.

"Believe me when I say this, Uzumaki Naruto, Jinchuriki of the Kyubi, will protect the lives of everyone he holds dear to him before anyone could get close to that village." Gaara stated tensely to the self righteous Tsuchikage.

"It is settled by a majority vote. Kazekage, you have three days in which to return back here before the meeting is continued." Mifune said as he dismissed the meeting. Gaara stood up and signalled to Temari and Kankuro that they were to pack up and head out immediately.

* * *

Naruto walked sheepishly through the moonlit streets in his formal attire. Hinata had politely asked him to dress up, as formalities were commonplace within the Hyuga family. She had also warned him not to expect any ramen for dinner, but to just try whatever he would be given. Naruto would do anything for her, so he was on his best behaviour. The last thing he wanted was to make a bad impression on her father, after it had appeared that he had finally begun to accept him.

"Ah Naruto-sama, welcome to the Hyuga compound. I shall inform Hinata-sama that you have arrived." Naruto was taken aback by the words as he was that wrapped up in his nervous thoughts that he had begun to walk past the entrance.

"O-okay, thank you." Naruto said quietly as he waited impatiently. Hinata walked out accompanied by the guard. His face was a picture as his eyes caught her outfit. She wore a long strapless dress, covered in tiny flower patterns. It floated around her perfect legs as she walked, hugging her waist tightly. "H-Hinata, you look a-amazing." Naruto was barely audible as whatever nerves he had were winded out of him when he saw her beauty in all its glory in such a complimenting dress.

"Thank-you Naruto-kun, you look really handsome." She looked him up and down, in his black trousers and white dress-shirt. She could tell he was uncomfortable but he looked really amazing regardless. She walked closer and realised that he was shaking like a leaf in the wind. "It's okay Naruto-kun, just relax. He's not going to bite you know." Hinata leaned over and pecked him on the cheek as she hugged him.

"Okay Hinata-chan. I just don't want to make a fool of you in front of your father." He whispered in her ear as he snuggled into her neck.

"Don't worry about it. Just be yourself, I'm sure he'll like you." She said reassuringly as she slid her fingers between his. She could feel his body temperature drop as she calmed him down. _"I never knew he could be so nervous." _She thought to herself as they walked hand-in-hand towards the main hall, where they would be spending the first part of the evening.

"Welcome Naruto-san, please be seated between my daughters." Hiashi welcomed the pair into the room, and pointed to the two empty chairs where they would be sat.

Hiashi sat at the head of the table, with Neji sat on one side on his own, opposite to Hinata. Hanabi sat on the opposite side to her father, whilst Naruto slotted between the two sisters.

"Thank you for inviting me into your home Hiashi-sama." Naruto said respectfully and bowed at the Hyuga leader before pulling out Hinata's chair like a true gentleman. He then seated himself and nodded casually towards Neji and smiled at Hanabi, who blushed slightly.

"I see you have good manners around my daughter, and treat your elders with respect Naruto-san." Naruto tried not to laugh at such a comment, knowing that he was truly evil to Baachan and Ero-Sennin. "It is my pleasure to invite you into my home. I cannot have you dating my daughter explicitly without giving you my consent first." Hiashi cracked a half smile as you could see in his demeanour that he was just as nervous about this as Naruto was.

"I brought myself up on my own from a young age, so I must apologise in advance in case I unintentionally do something wrong." Naruto laughed trying to break the ice, and it appeared to work as Hiashi sat back into his chair slightly. Even Neji appeared to smile as he sighed slightly in the hope that the food would turn up soon. Neji was only there in the hope that he could get a sparring match with Naruto later on.

"Naruto-kun, it's okay. Don't be so nervous." She whispered towards him and smiled, causing him to smile back. He just loved the way she smiled. It felt like his heart melted every time she smiled at him. She slipped her hand into his, under the table so that no one else could see.

"Yes, there is no need to be nervous around us Naruto-san. I have already deemed that you are more than worthy to date my eldest daughter. Nothing you can say or do will take that idea away from me. Since the Pain fight, my daughter has been a completely different person and I have you to thank for that." Naruto looked on at Hiashi's praise and couldn't believe that he had said something like that. He was not the stern faced Hyuga that he had expected him to be.

"You don't have me to thank for that Hiashi-sama, Hinata-hime tried to protect me with her own free will. Her devotion to save me made me realise how amazing a person she was behind that shy facade. She is a very strong kunoichi who just needed to break out of her shell. Now that she has done that she will only become even stronger." Naruto grinned as Hinata squeezed his hand tightly. He knew it was her way of silently thanking him for saying such a positive thing about her abilities.

"Naruto-san, you do realise you just called Hinata-sama, Hinata-_hime_?" Neji said evenly after taking a sip of tea. Hinata and Naruto both blushed at the same time, realising that Neji had picked up on the fact Naruto didn't call her Hinata-chan, for once.

Naruto laughed awkwardly before proceeding. "Yes, to me she is my beautiful princess who will protect me with her life, as I would protect hers." Hinata just turned and kissed him fully on the lips in front of everyone. It was one of the very few impulsive actions she had ever made, and she loved it. However, Naruto had turned bright red, and only got redder as Neji jokingly blew him a kiss.

"The food is just about ready." A cook said as she stuck her head out of the doorway. It smelt wonderful as it was brought in.

"Hinata told me before-hand that the only thing you seem to eat is ramen, so I got the cooks to make you a special Hyuga recipe." A Hyuga member in plain clothing brought out the food, placing a glorious bowl of ramen in front of his face, before placing various different items on the table before leaving.

"That was really thoughtful, thank you Hiashi-sama." Naruto thanked the Hyuga clan head before waiting for everyone to begin eating. Some time passed and the food went down slowly between Naruto's joking with Hinata and Neji. Hiashi looked on at the youngsters and found comfort in knowing that his eldest daughter had found someone who clearly showed great affection for her. Hanabi just looked on in a confused fashion, as most of the conversation was above her level of understanding. Naruto refrained from telling any stories about Jiraiya due to Hanabi being there. Although Neji had asked him, he felt that Hanabi was too young to listen to them and kept them safe for a rainy day. Eventually dinner was over and the group began to relax again.

"That was an amazing meal. My compliments go to the chef." Naruto said praising the Hyuga clans cooking. He still preferred Ichiraku's but he really didn't want to offend Hiashi after such a good evening.

"It was indeed, I shall tell them of your praise Naruto-san. Now let's retire for a short while before we turn to the dojo." Hiashi stood up, bowed and left for his quarters.

"Thank you for a great evening Hinata-sama, Naruto-san, I didn't expect it to go down so well. I will take my leave also, but I fully expect a rematch later Naruto." Neji jeered energetically at Naruto's direction. "Come on Hanabi-sama, let's leave the love birds alone." Hanabi jumped out of her chair and raced towards he cousin as she said something childish about them kissing again.

"Well, that wasn't so bad was it Naruto-kun?" Hinata laughed cheerfully as she hugged him lovingly.

"No, it went a lot better than I expect Hinata-hime." She smiled at him calling her 'princess' again and leant towards his lips, kissing him gently as she wrapped her arms around him again. The blond heard his stunning girlfriend activate her Byakugan as she scanned the room, knowing full well that Hanabi and Neji were still on the other side of the door, spying on them.

"Oh no, she saw us. Let's run." Hanabi said playfully as she grabbed Neji's hand and guided him off somewhere.

"Do you need some help cleaning up? That's one of the few things I can actually do." He laughed as she dragged him into the kitchen, knowing no one was in there, and no one was watching them anymore. She forced him against the wall and kissed him passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her waist closer to his body. He ran his hands all over her back as they kissed, it sent tingles down her spine when he touched her. She had such sensitive skin so even the slightest of touches could set her off.

"I've been dying to do that since I saw you." Hinata smiled as she pecked him on his cheek and turned away towards the sink.

"Same. I did tell you how amazing you look in that dress right?" he walked up behind her, folding his arms around her stomach as he nibbled on her neck, causing her to giggle slightly. She simply nodded and turned around to kiss him again, causing him to hug her affectionately. She loved it when he held her tightly. She had been desperate for him to do it all her life, and now she couldn't get enough of it. The two separated and began to clean the dishes, toying with each other as their laughter could be heard throughout the household.

"_It must be love; I hope you're proud of how our daughter has blossomed." _Hiashi was sat on his bed, holding a picture of his family. He continuously stroked his wife's image over and over with his finger as a tear dropped on to the glass. It was a tear of sadness, but also a tear of joy as he realised that his daughter was truly happy.

Hinata showed Naruto to an empty room where he could change into his ninja attire, kissing him before leaving for her room. She stayed long enough so she could see him take off his shirt, stretching out his muscular back and bulging biceps. Her knees trembled slightly at the sight before she walked off to get changed herself. Naruto didn't bring his usual orange jumpsuit, just a black undershirt with his family crest on the back, and some baggy trousers. He only expected to watch Hinata and Hanabi train, but after Neji's words during dinner he fully expected to be involved in some way or another. He tightened his Konoha headband and left the room, heading towards Hinata's direction.

"Hinata-hime, are you ready?" Naruto asked as he knocked on her bedroom door. He heard movement from inside the room and heard something crash to the floor. "Is everything okay in there?" he began to get worried.

"Yes, I'm ready now, please come in." Hinata sounded like her usual shy self, much unlike how she had been over the past few days with the blond teen. Naruto slid the door open and saw Hinata stood before him, draped in a silk gown facing away from him. He could see her combat trousers where the gown cut off. He slid the door shut again and looked on, baffled at what she was doing.

"Are you okay Hinata-hime?" She turned, showing her slightly blushed face. He could see now that she was holding the gown closed around her chest. Without warning, she let go of the garment, allowing the silk material to slide down her naked torso. Naruto's eyes widened at what stood before him.

"Na-Naruto-kun...I-I have seen you topless twice now. I-I thought you m-might l-like to see me." Naruto could feel a stream of blood slowly flowing out of his nose as he gazed lecherously at Hinata's topless body. He knew that she was always more developed that the other girls his age, but he didn't realise how well she had hid it.

"Hi-Hinata, y-you are s-so...beautiful." his voice peaked and troughed as he tried to speak his mind. He didn't know what to say to her, so he let his body do the talking as he walked towards her, placing his hands on her perfect waist as he pulled her body close to him. His hands wandered slowly up her body, his fingertips brushing over her soft skin. Hinata began to tingle as his touch moved further up her body, forcing her to kiss his neck, before gently biting him. Again it felt like she was acting on impulse as he teased her, brushing his fingers over her fully erect nipples. It didn't take long before she had her hands on his shirt, pulling it off him as she pressed her amble bosom against his chest, standing on her tip-toes as she kissed him again.

"_I can't believe this is happening. I think I've died and gone to heaven."_ His mind was in overload now, like you would expect any teenage boy to be. Hinata was everything he had ever hoped for. _"What was it that Ero-sennin always used to tell me? Go with your instincts in such situations." _Naruto grabbed hold of her waist again, picking her up and laying her on the bed, straddling her as he kissed her neck seductively. He had noticed on a few occasions that her neck was extremely sensitive. But he didn't stop there. He shuffled his body as he slowly moved his lips down her neck, and onto her chest, gently kissing her supple skin, teasing her as he caressed her perky nipples with his tongue.

"Are you ready yet Hinata-sama? We have been waiting for some time now." A number of knocks were quickly followed by Neji's voice, stopping the lustful actions of the duo dead as they began to scurry around trying to dress themselves. After a few moments, a hot and flustered Hinata walked out of the room, followed directly by a scruffier than usual looking Naruto. Neji just looked on, realising that he had just caught his little cousin doing something she shouldn't have been. He kept quiet though as the three walked in an awkward silence towards the Hyuga dojo.

"Greetings again Naruto-san, If you wouldn't mind I would like you to take a seat beside myself as my daughters spar. I would like you to see how the Hyuga family trains. Neji-san, please join me also." Hiashi said in a commanding tone as the group departed, leaving Hinata to face off against her sister.

"If you don't mind me asking, is it not an unfair advantage for Hinata-Hime to fight Hanabi-kun? Surely Hinata-hime has the greater experience, and age?" Naruto was interested in this match-up. He had fully expected for Hinata to fight Neji, as opposed to Hanabi. The match had already begun, with the pair trading blows freely, though neither appeared to have the advantage.

"You would believe so Naruto-san, but until a few days ago, Hinata-sama had never defeated Hanabi-sama in a battle." Neji's statement brought a look of disbelief to Naruto's eyes.

"Just watch Naruto-san, I'm sure you will like to see what my daughter's new found confidence can do for her in battle." Hiashi politely asked Naruto, who became even more intrigued by the spar than he had been before.

The match had only been going on for a short period before Hinata appeared on top of her little sister, pushing her backwards with her Juuken. The whisker faced romantic had never taken time to fully appreciate her elegance in battle. She moved like a figure skater over the ice, her movements were in perfect timing. It wasn't long before Hinata emerged victorious, as she helped her sister off the mat, taking time to look over her for any injuries.

"You are amazing Hinata-hime. I don't even know if I could defeat you in a taijutsu battle." He praised her efforts, knowing full well that she would appreciate his positive words. However, he didn't expect the next thing she said.

"Try me." She smiled at her boyfriend and walked back onto the mat, taking up her favourite taijutsu stance. She knew he could never refuse a challenge.

Naruto grinned and nodded as he jumped up, taking up a stance in front of her. He wasn't much of a lover of fighting girls, so he thought he would take it easy on her. Neji looked upset that Hinata had got to fight him, but that look subsided as he shouted some encouragement to Hinata. Hiashi looked shocked that Neji was so into this, but merely laughed as his gaze drew in on the couple. Naruto was hesitant to attack first, so Hinata made her move, quickly closing down the blond, thrusting two punches to his side. He parried the first and grabbed the second, as she spun on her free hand and launched a kick towards his head. Naruto ducked clumsily and threw a string of sloppy looking punches at the kunoichi, who merely blocked them and thrust at him with her Juuken, connecting with his shoulder.

"Please don't go easy on me Naruto-kun." she said with confidence as Naruto skidded backwards slightly after taking the attack. He smiled at her determination and began to realise that by not trying his hardest, he was making a mockery of her efforts in front of her father. He quickly calmed himself and took up a new stance, before rapidly increasing his speed.

Hinata struggled to get acclimatised to his speed, but managed to keep him in check. Each move he made, she countered, and vice-versa. She fired a volley of Juuken blows at him, brushing his cheek with one before nicking his side. Naruto had avoided the brunt of the attack, but it still hurt slightly. He increased his speed again, this time she couldn't keep up with him as he landed a softened kick on her abdomen, before looking like he was going to connect with a fist to the chest. Suddenly, his attack was parried as a rotating dome of chakra encompassed her body. The severity of the attack threw Naruto backwards, but he used a number of Kage Bunshin's to soften his fall. The lavender eyed girl stopped her rotation, before seemingly falling to the ground in slow-motion. Naruto appeared at her side in a flash, catching her before she hit the ground.

"Hinata-hime!" Naruto exclaimed as he looked frantically around the room, trying to get the attention of Hiashi, who was already behind him.

"It's okay Naruto-san, she will be fine. That was the first time she has activated the Kaiten, it takes a lot out of you. My daughter will be fine after a nights rest." Hiashi sounded almost shocked as he explained what had just happened. He had almost given up on the idea that Hinata would ever activate the Hyuga's bloodline limit Jutsu.

"You bring out the best in my daughter, which is why I can put faith in her decision to place her love in you. Naruto-san, I know by the way you look at Hinata, that you will do everything in your power to protect her. That is worthy trait of a Hokage."

"T-thank-you Hiashi-sama. I-I don't know what else I can say." Naruto was overly embarrassed at the man's words, but he knew that Hiashi could see the love in his eyes for his daughter. Although he was still worried considerably for the welfare of his beautiful girlfriend, he trusted that Hiashi was telling him the truth, and all the worry began to melt away.

"There is nothing to say Naruto-san. You are the Hero of Konoha, the saviour of this village, and the love of my daughter's life. You are more than welcome in our home Uzumaki Naruto." Hiashi bowed respectfully to Naruto before signalling his leave. Neji patted him on the shoulder before he followed suit.

"In that case, I shall take her back to her room and wish her a good night. Thank you for such an interesting evening, and for inviting me into your home. I never expected to be treated so well. Good night Hiashi-sama, Neji-san." Naruto bowed as he held Hinata in his arms, before walking off towards her bedroom. He was so careful with her, letting her down gently and covering her up as he kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose, then her lips, before standing up again.

"Good night my beautiful princess, I love you with all my heart." Naruto looked at the peaceful expression on her face before her left for home.

* * *

"You took care of business efficiently today, Sasuke. You took your first step to avenging Itachi, whilst helping the cause in the upcoming war by ridding Konoha of one of their big hitters." Madara seemed extremely happy at this present moment. The gears of fate were slowly cranking the way he had planned, and soon his dreams would be made into reality.

"What did you need his body for?" Sasuke asked curtly as he sat cleaning his blood stained blade.

"To protect the Sharingan of course, I couldn't just let an active Sharingan fall into enemy hands now could I?" Madara's rhetorical question seemed to test Sasuke's patience as he flared his Mangekyo at the masked man.

"Argh! What is happening to me!" Sasuke collapsed to the floor as his eyes began to fail him again. A small pool of blood formed as he coughed violently.

"You are over using the Mangekyo. If you continue to use it you will go blind. Maybe we should discuss the idea of transplanting Itachi's eyes into you. That is the only way you will be able to keep your eyesight."

"No, I refuse. I will fulfil my goal with my own powers. I don't need my eyes to defeat two elders. All I need is my sword." Sasuke panted as his breathing quickened due to the pain, but he remained as determined as ever.

* * *

Sorry about the length of the chapter guys, but I probably won't be writing another one for a while with Uni coming up, so I made this one longer.

Thanks to all those people who have reviewed my work with each chapter. I really appreciate reading them so thank you all.

Please take the extra time to review my work, I will reply to all reviews. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Naruto is clearly my idea...I wish. That sly fox Kishimoto owns that shit.

Uni was a bit slow this week, so I had time to write my next chapter. I hope you all enjoy.

***Chapter 5 -***

"Oh, Hinata-chan...that's very...naughty. Please, don't stop...huh what?" The sleep talking teen was rudely awoken from his overly erotic dream by his deafening alarm clock, which lasted a matter of seconds before it was thrown across the room. "Damn thing ruined my fun." Naruto tiredly shouted in no particular direction as he picked his head up from the saliva soaked pillow he had been resting on.

"**Thank god for that. I'm free of that nightmare!" **A relieved Kyubi sighed as he curled himself into a ball and waited for a dim-witted reply.

"_Huh, what are you talking about furball? _On cue a confused Naruto replied as he yawned loudly.

"**Your god damn dream boy, that's what I'm talking about. I really don't want to watch you defile that poor little Hyuga in your perverted mind." **Kyubi's words sparked a little realisation from the now fully awake and totally embarrassed teen.

"_I'm sorry but I can't help it, she is unbelievably sexy, even more so now that I know what she hides underneath that jacket of hers."_ Naruto grinned as he thought about what had occurred at the Hyuga compound the night before. He had never seen anything so stunningly beautiful as Hyuga Hinata's naked body.

"**Jesus kid, will you stop thinking about that girls breasts!" **Naruto caught the wave of anger thrown at him by the fox, knowing that he had struck a nerve. **"I might be a demon, but I'm not a pervert! You're just as bad as your mother when she..." **The demon quickly shut his trap and tensed slightly. _**"Shit, I should so not have said that." **_Kyubi suddenly realised that he had dropped a serious bollock in this conversation.

"What, h-how do you that know my m-mother was a pervert? Answer me fox, what do you know?" Naruto's voice quickly changed from confusion to anger as he stared menacingly at the fox inside his mind.

"**Sorry kid gotta go do my washing. Bye."** The chakra form inside the cage quickly dissipated, leaving Naruto looking at nothing but darkness.

"_Hm, I have to find out what he knows. Wait, what time is it?" _Naruto quickly remembered that he had arranged to meet his beloved Hyuga princess so that they could go for dinner after helping out with the construction work. "SHIT, I'M LATE!" Naruto screamed as he picked up the beaten up alarm clock he had nearly destroyed when he woke up.

In a flash he dived into the shower, brushing his teeth in there to save a bit of time. After the quickest shower in history he bounded out into the living room, dripping all over the floor as he searched for a towel. He didn't have time to dry his hair, so he just left it wet as he dropped the towel from his naked body. The blond hurriedly put on his clothes before darting out of his apartment so fast that he nearly took the door off its hinges as he closed it behind him. As he raced through the village streets, his hair began to dry itself, spiking up to its normal messy style, whilst receiving friendly waves from on-lookers as they watched their hero blaze by. It didn't take long before he had reached the apartment complex where he had planned to meet the lavender eyed bombshell, looking around in every direction as he tried to find her.

"Hello Naruto-kun." Naruto whipped around quickly to see Hinata sat behind him, in the shade of a huge oak tree.

"Hinata-hime, I'm so sorry I'm late, but my alarm clock broke and um...I overslept." Naruto scratched his nose as he tried to hide the fact he was lying about why he was late. He didn't think it would be appropriate to tell her he was too busy having a sexy dream about her, then spent an age arguing with the demon inside him about his perverted ways.

"Y-you're not late Naruto-kun, we're not supposed to meet for another forty minutes. I just got here early so that I could read in the shade." Hinata smiled as she called over her handsome, if not slightly scruffy looking boyfriend.

"Oh, that's okay then. I thought I was supposed to meet you twenty minutes ago. So, how are you feeling today? Have you fully recovered from passing out last night?" Naruto's relief turned to concern as he remembered how she had collapsed in their sparring match the night before.

"I'm okay Naruto-kun, no need to worry about me. My father told me what had happened. I was so happy that I had passed out unleashing my Kaiten, rather than just fainting around you like I usually do." Naruto grinned happily as she mocked her own usually shy actions around him. She picked herself up and leapt into her lover's arms, pecking him on the cheek as she did so. A brief moment passed as the two embraced each other.

"N-no way...I-I never realised y-you were a p-pervert too." Naruto's utter shock in his words was directed towards the book that lay on the flattened patch of grass where Hinata had been sat. The confused kunoichi pulled away from him as she saw that he was pointing at the little orange book that was placed with the cover side down.

"W-wh-what d-do y-you mean N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata quickly retreated to the book and placed it in her bag, looking extremely flustered at Naruto's statement. "I-It's j-just a cookery book." She pleaded her innocence as he just smirked at her, and planted a tantalising kiss on her luscious lips, causing her to hold him tightly at the contact.

After a brief moment, the kiss ended and they hugged again. Naruto grinned again as he began to whisper gently into her ear.

"You know Hinata-hime, Ero-sennin wrote that book whilst I was on my training trip with him, and I was the first person to read it. I never realised you were into that kind of literature, it makes you even sexier." Naruto lingered on the final word, emphasising every syllable as the words tickled her ear. He could feel the heat radiate off her body as he caught her out with the Icha-Icha book she had tried to hide from him. He continued to tease her as he brushed his lips over her neck, and bit her shoulder gently, just as he knew how she liked it.

"J-Jiraiya-sama w-wrote the Icha-Icha series?" Hinata blushed ferociously as she knew that Naruto liked that she had a horny side. _"Naruto-kun thinks that I'm sexy? He thinks that I'm even 'sexier' because I read such a filthy book? Maybe he's not as naive as he makes out to be when it comes down to that kind of thing." _She blushed again at her thoughts as she waited for a reply.

"Yep, though to be honest I prefer his first book. It's a lot more my style." Naruto pulled out a dark green book with a worn out spine, clearly showing that it had been read many times.

"Tales...of...A...Gutsy...Ninja." Hinata read the title slowly as she was reading it upside down.

"It's not a romantic book, or remotely perverted like all his other works. It's a tale of the life of a single shinobi, trying to bring peace to the world. It completely flopped in the market when it was released; it barely sold a thousand copies, whereas the Icha-Icha series sold millions. But I liked it, and apparently my father loved it. In fact, this was my father's copy. Ero-sennin gave it to me on our travels." Naruto smiled at the last part. Hinata saw the pride in his eyes every time he spoke of his father and it made her feel happy knowing that he had finally found a bit of closure. "You can read it if you like Hina-hime."

Hinata simply nodded and took the book happily when he handed it to her. "Thank-you Naruto-kun, I promise I'll look after it." She looked lovingly into his eyes knowing that he trusted her with something that was so precious to him. What she got in return was what she had hoped for, a long and fruitful kiss.

"Geez, get a room guys." They quickly separated, looking towards the direction of the rude interruption, seeing Kiba and Shino standing on a thick branch directly above their heads. Shino stood there, silent as ever whilst Kiba laughed continuously at breaking up their fun.

"Good morning Hinata-chan, Naruto-kun. Are you ready to assist with your duties now?" Shino urged the two to remember what they were doing there anyway, as he jumped down and patted them both on the shoulder, before walking towards the construction site. Kiba quickly followed suit, blowing the pair a kiss before catching up to his team-mate.

"Buzz kill..." Naruto sighed as he turned back to Hinata, holding his hand out for her to latch on. As soon as she did, he eased closer to her, leaning in towards her ear again.

"At least now I know where you got the idea from to do what you did last night." Naruto winked at her and then pecked her quickly on the cheek, before quietly laughing. "Why don't we try it again tonight at my place, so Neji can't disturb us?"

Hinata gave no verbal response to the question, but instead looked towards him with an overriding desire to make him pay for his teasing of her seductive actions the night before. Naruto caught the look and realised how much he was going to get it later. He loved to tease her. The pair walked hand-in-hand behind the rest of team eight, silently thinking about what would happen tonight. You could tell by looking at their heavily blushed faces that the thoughts they were having were purely sexual.

The group donned their work clothes and hard hats as they helped to rebuild the semi-constructed apartment block. It had been a week since the reconstruction had begun, and in every direction you looked, Konoha was already beginning to retake shape. Many of the villagers who were working in the same area took short breaks to talk personally to Naruto, praising him for what he did, with many also complimenting him on his choice of women. Although he had heard those kinds of things a number of times over the past few days, he was still taken aback every time someone spoke to him so nicely. The pair blushed whenever anyone spoke about them being such a cute couple, though it was understandable considering how well they fitted together.

A couple of hours passed and many were beginning to tire, only ninja appeared to continue to work, which was logical considering they had much greater stamina than the average villager. Whenever a villager grew tired, a new Naruto would appear in their place and take over. It wasn't long before the majority of the building was covered in streaks of blond and orange, whilst the ground around the building was cluttered with people sat watching the insane amount of strength the boy had.

"Wow, he sure is amazing." A young man praised Naruto as he slowly drank some tea.

"Yeah, it's amazing how a teenager can have so much power." Another man replied as he walked around the group, offering the villagers sandwiches from a silver tray.

"Maybe he can keep it up for so long because of the Kyubi?" A middle-aged looking woman drew the attention of the rest of the group as she spoke.

"No, don't worry about that, I never use his power unless it is a last resort. I have always had much larger chakra stores than many of my peers." The villagers turned to see a tall figure stood in front of them. As the rays of sunlight shone from behind him, it made him look so much like the Yondaime it was untrue.

The Naruto that spoke to the crowd disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving the group speechless.

"I never expected him to be so open with us about such a thing. I hope he forgives us for how we have treated him in the past." An elderly man spoke up above the rest of the chatter, before taking a bite out of his sandwich. The rest of the villagers looked at each other with long faces, before facing the floor in unison, remembering how they used to treat the wild haired boy.

"Don't worry about it. Naruto has had his share of hardships, especially because of how many of the people in the village have treated him in the past. But Naruto is a Konoha Nin, and will protect you all with his life, because every one of you are his precious people, regardless of what has been said in the past." The group listened to the words of the stranger who walked passed them, holding his orange book close to his masked face as he talked. The group quickly thought on Kakashi's words and began to get back to work, drastically relieving the strain on Naruto.

* * *

On the other side of Konoha, a very conflicted Sakura was going about her rounds as usual. Since she had heard the news that Sasuke had joined the very same organisation that wanted to capture Naruto, and that he had been ordered to be disposed of, Sakura's inner turmoil had grown considerably. It's not every day that the love of your life becomes considered an 'S' rank criminal with an 'execution on sight' order. Sakura thought that work would keep her mind off such things, but she was mistaken. It seemed that every room she walked in was a room where Sasuke had once spent a period of time in. After a short while, she had reached the final door on her round. She slid the door open, and then shut it behind her before walking over to the elderly looking patient in the room.

"What am I supposed to do? I can't just let him go, he means too much to me. I wish you would just wake up sensei." Sakura began to sob quietly as she leaned on the side of Tsunade's bed.

She had been in a coma for a week now, and showed no signs of snapping out of it. Sakura and Shizune had taken it in turns to visit Tsunade, keeping close attention to her condition. The pair of them cared deeply for the Hokage, more so than any other in the village considering they were both her students.

"I just wish Sasuke-kun would come home and forget about revenge. He's already killed Itachi and that hasn't stopped him. If only I could talk to him, maybe he would stop." She bawled her eyes out as she continued her one-sided conversation with Tsunade.

"Maybe so, but maybe he would kill you where you stood." Sakura lifted her head but didn't face towards the door as she replied.

"What do you want Sai?" the harshness in her voice was completely deflected by Sai, who didn't really understand the difference between this tone of voice, and the tone she usually used with him.

"I wanted to see if you were okay. I mean, that's what team-mates are for right?" Sai kindly replied as he walked towards her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. The contact caused her to jump a bit, but she quickly warmed to it and squeezed Tsunade's wrinkled hand before standing up and facing her current team-mate.

"Thank-you Sai-kun, I appreciate that you care about me." She said as she briefly hugged the pale skinned boy. Sakura regained her composure and wiped away the tears before she walked towards the door. "How about some lunch Sai? I could really do with someone to talk to about this."

Sai simply smiled and walked out into the hallway with her, closing the door behind him. The pair left the hospital and walked into the market district, looking for a place to have some lunch.

"How about we get some barbeque?" Sai asked as they walked past the restaurant that they had been in a number of times with Shikamaru and Chouji.

"Sure, I can go for that. But you're paying." Sakura giggled as she took Sai's hand and led him into the building, finding the first free booth.

"_Hm, usually whenever a girl says that, it means that they think it's a date. At least that's what I read in a book about relationships." _Sai looked uneasy at the thought of a date with Sakura, although she was very attractive, she wasn't really his type. "Um, Sakura-san, I don't mean to be rude but I didn't mean for this to be a date." Sai spoke nervously hoping that it wouldn't upset her.

"Don't be silly Sai, I know it's not, I only said that because I don't have my purse on me." She smiled at him happily, knowing that he was beginning to become more...human.

"Oh, that's good then. I'm not really attracted to you so I'm glad you didn't think it was a date." Sai smiled reassuringly at Sakura as he ordered some pork and some low-concentrate Sake.

"_Hm, maybe not then." _Sakura smacked her forehead with her hand as she looked angrily at Sai's last comment. _"It doesn't matter, he's only being truthful. I think I'll let him off this once." _Sakura calmed down as she ordered the same as Sai. The pair sat there, talking pleasantly for a fairly long time about normal life before the S word was brought up into conversation.

"Do you still love Sasuke, even though he is now considered a criminal?" Sakura sadly stared back at the teen asking her the question, thinking of the best way to answer. She took a big swig of Sake from the bottle and prepared herself.

"Honestly I don't know. He is always in my heart, and there hasn't been a day that's gone by where I haven't thought about him since he left us. However, I don't know if I can forgive him for what he's done. First he leaves to join that disgusting snake Orochimaru, and then he nearly kills Naruto...twice. He's killed his own brother, and then captured the only remaining Biju apart from Naruto. He's done some much wrong that I can barely see the good things that he used to do when we were a team." Sakura was almost hyperventilating as she spewed out her feelings onto Sai, but that was what Sai was hoping for. He knew that it would make her feel better if she managed to get those feelings out, rather than bottle them up inside her.

"It's okay Sakura-san, that's kind of what I expected you to say. If I was in your position I would probably feel the same way. He is an extremely dangerous person, but he is also the person who owns your heart. If you cannot let that feeling go, then you just have to live with it." Sai seemed so comforting; it was like he was a completely different person to when they first met. Suddenly his warm sentiments transformed into something cold and menacing.

"However, if you do anything that results in you betraying Konoha for Sasuke, I will not hesitate in killing you." Sai raised his cup to his lips and took a sip, before leaning back into the chair and looked into Sakura's troubled eyes.

"Wow, Danzo really made you a cold-hearted bastard didn't he?" Sakura laughed off his comment, she knew it wasn't a joke but she couldn't help but laugh. Sai joined in momentarily. It was probably the first time she had seen him laugh, which made her feel more comfortable around him.

"Yeah, his training techniques are absolutely despicable at times. He really is a total bastard..." Sai waited for the paralysis to kick in, but it never came.

"Yeah, that old fart never got any when he was younger so he took his anger out on us, making us a cold-hearted as he was..." Still nothing happened to him. Sakura just looked on as Sai ripped apart Danzo's standing.

"Shit, something is terribly wrong. Usually if I say anything that would be considered disrespectful to that old prune, my body would be placed in paralysis until it would be retrieved by a member of 'root'." Sai then stuck his tongue out and forced chakra into it. "Ca-yo-see-a-sel-on-ma-tong?"

Sakura just looked confused at what he was trying to say to her, when it suddenly clicked what he was doing. "No, there's nothing there. Should there be Sai-kun?" She was still confused but she began to feel the worried look that was coming from him.

"Crap this is bad. The only way that the seal placed on me should be dispelled is if Danzo is...dead." Sakura looked in horror at what he just said. "WE HAVE TO FIND KAKASHI NOW!" Sai jumped out of the booth and left a wad of cash on the table, more than what the meal was worth. Sakura saw how distraught the usually calm and collective artist was and rushed after him.

* * *

"Jesus you are a heavy one aren't you. It's already taken me a day longer to get back, and I'm still a good eight hours away." A cloaked figure said tiredly to the wounded man that lay unconscious on the edge of his sword.

"Not very talkative are you?" He laughed sadistically before he was cut off by a number of senbon made of ice that flew towards him. Kisame jumped backwards, allowing the projectiles to fall short, before he pulled out one of Killer Bee's swords with his free hand.

"Well, I never expected that such a weak attack would stop you, so I'll get straight to the point." Another cloaked figure shot out from the tree-line, with a ridiculous amount of speed, holding the Executioners Blade.

"Geez, you just don't give up do you Suigetsu?" with Samehada pre-occupied containing the Hachibi's power, Kisame fused chakra into the sword he held in his other hand, and threw it straight at Suigetsu's throat. Unfortunately for Kisame, he didn't even move. The blade went straight through him, as he simply transformed his body into water and pulled back his blade ready to swing at Kisame's shark-like head.

"_Fuck, I don't have a chance in hell of blocking this." _Kisame was about to be obliterated by the sword he had become so familiar with when Zabuza used to wield it, before a bright light shone directly in front of him. As the light dimmed again, Suigetsu was shocked at what he saw. Madara stood between them, with his arm easily holding up the blade.

"No way, this blade can cut through steel. You should be dead right now." Suigetsu's shock caused him to retract the blade and jump back into a defensive position. He knew that there was no way in hell he could take on Kisame AND Madara. However, as he jumped back he was caught from behind by Zetsu.

"Now, now young one, don't worry we won't kill you. But, just to warn you, as long as _I_ lead this organisation, you will not get close enough to Kisame-san to take his sword. Do you understand?" Suigetsu was already convinced by Madara's words, but just to seal the deal he flared his Mangekyo Sharingan at the water based Nin.

"I-I'm sorry, I won't try it again." Suigetsu quickly grew very cautious around the group and stood down completely.

"Excellent, now we can take our priceless weapon back to the hideout, and...Dispose of him the necessary way." Without warning the group began to spiral into a vortex, appearing instantaneously inside of the lair, greeted by the glare of Sasuke, as he sat beside a bed-ridden Karin, whilst Jugo hovered around in the corner.

* * *

The evening began to draw in around Konoha. Many who were assisting with the construction had begun to retire back to their accommodation. A familiar sight could be found down one of the many streets in Konoha. A smitten couple walked together, smiling, holding hands, with happiness radiating from them.

"How about I treat you to Ichiraku's Hinata-hime?" Naruto smiled gleefully at the heavenly figure that glided beside him.

"I love you so much Naruto-kun, but we really need to talk about your diet, or more appropriately your lack of one." She replied sternly to her beloved blue eyed genius. She really didn't want to hurt his feelings but she was beginning to get sick of him only ever eating ramen.

"I know Hinata-hime, it's just I'm pretty useless at cooking, and I really enjoy Teuchi's company. He's always looked out for me for as long as I can remember." Hinata felt bad that she had said that to him, but she felt that she could make it up to him.

"Okay then, we're going shopping. Come on honey." Naruto smiled at her calling him that, but didn't have much time to reply as she dragged him towards the nearest grocers.

"W-what are you doing Hinata-hime?"

"Well, we are going to buy some ingredients, then I am going to cook you the best meal you've ever had. Then, if you play your cards right, I might show you a little more than I showed you last night." The white-eyed girl sealed her plan with a seductive bite to Naruto's bottom lip.

"_God, I love it when she does that." _Naruto thought to himself as he followed her closely, occasionally catching a sneaky look at her perfect ass in those tight black trousers she wore so frequently. "I've never heard you speak so commandingly, but I really like it hime." Naruto's words caused her to blush slightly before they reached the store.

"You know, even though I'm not looking at you, I know you're staring at my ass Naruto-kun." She spoke in such an innocent way that Naruto blushed wildly, before he got a perverted thought and blood gushed from his nose.

They remained in the small shop for a brief time, picking up all the necessary ingredients before heading back to his apartment. They purposely walked quite slowly, as Naruto sent a group of Kage Bunshin's ahead of him so that they could tidy up the place a bit. He didn't want Hinata to think he was a complete slob, as well as a junk food addict. It seemed like they spoke all the time, and neither one allowed a silence to last longer than five seconds. All the years of barely speaking had taken its toll, meaning that they never shut up. They conversed relentlessly until they eventually reached his complex. Luckily Naruto's building had been one of the first to have been reconstructed as it was close to the Hokage tower.

Naruto rang the doorbell to make sure that his clones had finished their jobs. The door opened slightly, revealing a clone in an apron holding a feather duster. Hinata quickly raised her hand to her mouth to hide the fact that she was laughing at the sight, but it didn't work too well as Naruto made fun of his clone, causing her to laugh even more.

"Sorry, we're not finished yet, give us another minute or two." The clone slammed the door and all that could be heard on the other side of the door was large amounts of rummaging and banging. The clones dispelled themselves, informing Naruto that they had finished what they were doing. He pulled a key from his pocket, opening the door for Hinata before entering himself.

"It's pretty basic but I like it." Naruto was nervous because he didn't want Hinata to think he was poor.

"I-It's very nice Naruto-kun, very roomy. Can you show me to the kitchen so I can begin?" She smiled back him, knowing that he would quickly drop the nervous act if she was nice to him. As Naruto led the way into the shoe-box of a kitchen, Hinata wrapped her free hand around his waist, whilst holding a bag of shopping in the other.

"Is there anything I can do to help out hime?" Naruto leaned against the back wall, admiring the perfectly shaped figure in front of him as she pulled out the necessary equipment to prepare the meal.

"How about, you kiss me? Then..." she was interrupted by a passionate kiss, she could feel his tongue pressing on her lips, begging for entry. The horny Hyuga happily obliged, allowing their tongues to become entwined, as Naruto's hands began to wonder south.

"Ahem. Now now Naruto-kun, I thought we were saving that for...dessert?" Hinata gently bit his lip again, before giving him the dirtiest look he had ever seen.

"Wow...You really aren't as shy as you make out are you Hinata-hime?" He smirked back at her seduction, kissing her gently on the forehead before leaving to set the table for their dinner. _"Maybe I should have a cold shower? It's starting to get really hot in here."_

"**Damn right it is kid. Your perverted thoughts are too much to handle." **

"_Geez, what do you want me to do? _I can't help that I've got the sexiest girl in Konoha cooking in my kitchen."

"**Kid, you've really got to control the way you talk to me." **Kyubi laughed at his jailer before disappearing again.

"W-wha-what d-did y-you say, N-Naruto-kun?" An extremely embarrassed looking girl peered through the door, hiding most of her body behind it.

"Oh crap." He whispered under his breath. All he could hear in his head was the waves of laughter coming from the beast that lived there.

"_**Ha, this is going to be good." **_Kyubi let out another laugh as he sat and watched this unfortunate event unfold.

"W-well um, I was discussing something in my head with the furball, but I kind of began to speak out-loud." Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment before continuing. "I said that you're the sexiest girl in Konoha." He smiled at her blushing face, as she tried to hide her emotions behind the apron she had put on.

"Only in Konoha eh? I'm going to have to do something about that." The smile of happiness she wore on her face, quickly changed to that of seduction and temptation before she turned back into the kitchen.

"_Damn, she is so hot. I love her so much." _Naruto thought to himself before returning to the task at hand. He could hear the nine-tails muttering something about perverted couples and restless nights, but he simply ignored it and lit some candles.

The couple remained relatively silent over dinner. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence; they could both see they were thinking about what was going to happen after they had finished their meal. Hinata had cooked some black-bean soup for starters, which Naruto thought was amazing. For the main she had perfectly cooked some chicken, and brought together a side of salad dressing. Naruto hated vegetables but he thoroughly enjoyed the meal. He complimented her cooking numerous times, he never knew how good a cook she was. All that was left for the pair was dessert.

"Naruto-kun, do you mind if we take this into the bedroom?" she asked softly as she nestled her head into his neck, brushing her lips against his skin as she waited for a reply, but it never came. He merely scooped her up in his arms, leading her off towards the bedroom. She giggled at his actions as he laid her softly onto the bed spread, shutting the door behind him. A brief moment passed as he just stood and gazed at her beautiful features, before he encroached on the bed, lying beside her.

"You become even more beautiful every time I set my eyes upon you, my beautiful princess." He sighed blissfully as he felt her nibble on his neck, before kissing up his chin, slowly closing in on his lips. With each kiss, she moved closer to him, straddling him as she kissed him fully. All Naruto could do in reply was grip her tightly around her petite waist as he returned the kiss. His hands crept up her soft skin, his fingertips brushed against her ribs, as they moved closer to her breasts.

"Not yet Naruto-kun, it's my turn to play with you." She pulled away from him, taking away his arms and forcing them onto the bed so that he couldn't move. The helpless teen was now entirely at her mercy. The Hyuga princess held his hands in place with one hand, and began to take off his shirt with the other. She leant down, kissing his toned body all over, before returning back to his mouth, licking his lips seductively before planting a kiss on him.

"Now, how can I get you back for teasing me this afternoon?" she whispered in his ear as her lips touched his ear lobe, sending shivers down his spine. Without warning, she began to slide slowly down his body, allowing her lips to brush over his rippled body, moving from his neck, down to his chest, before running her fingers down his abdomen towards his bulging trousers.

"_Oh god, she is such a tease..." _Naruto's thoughts were transformed into barely audible moans as she began to unzip his trousers.

"**La la la, I'm not listening!" **Naruto's mind was suddenly drowned out by music blaring from inside the cage.

"_What the hell are you doing listening to Slipknot? You're a goddam fox, not a maggot!" _Naruto yelled at the fox trying to get him to turn the music down, with no success.

"**It helps me sleep through disturbing thoughts." **The music was subdued by an instantaneous silence, as Naruto managed to phase the music from his mind.

"_He listens to Slipknot to get him through the disturbing thoughts? That's probably what's giving him the thoughts." _Naruto quickly forgot about the Kyubi's bizarre taste in music and remembered what Hinata was doing to him.

One of her hands began to wonder into his trousers, gripping his shaft slightly and pulling it out from his trousers. She gently slid her hand up and down his throbbing cock, teasing him more and more with each movement.

"It appears I was not the only one hiding something...big...underneath their clothes." She toyed with his huge penis, causing him to moan at the slightest touch. Hinata had him by the short and curlys, literally. Everything she did to him, Naruto was beginning to become a moaning wreck. He had never been touched in such a way before, it felt so much better when Hinata did it, rather than when he did.

"I-I love you Hinata-hime." He managed to gasp out as she quickened her strokes. She could feel the blood pumping around his throbbing shaft as it stood to attention for her.

"I love you too Naruto-kun, but I'm not finished yet." She kissed his chiselled chest once again, admiring his toned body as she moved her head towards where her hands had been busy, kissing his head as she rotated her tongue around it, teasing him more and more.

"Oh, Hinata, you are so Naughty." He moaned as she continued to tease him effortlessly. She had complete control of his actions as she began to suck the nib of his penis.

*Knock* *knock*

"Naruto-san? Quickly, we need you at the Hokage tower. An emergency meeting has been called." An anxious voice shouted from outside.

"GOD DAMMIT NEJI!" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs as he grew angry of his interruption, yet again during their 'alone' time. Hinata was startled by the knocks and jumped away from Naruto, looking extremely embarrassed that she had been stopped by her cousin yet again.

"Eurgh, come on Hinata, we can get back to this later." She could feel that he was angry but she knew it wasn't at her. "And by the way, you are so fucking hot when you tease." He smirked at her reaction as he put on his shirt and moved for the door.

"You know, you have absolutely shocking timing. You're worse than Kakashi-sensei." Naruto grumbled at Neji when he opened the door. The Hyuga just looked at him in a confused fashion, before he saw another figure in the background.

"Hey! What the hell were you doing with my cousin?" He fumed as he saw Hinata's blushing face.

"Oh, shut up Neji. Now tell us why you interrupted us AGAIN." The boy's jumped back at Hinata's angry outburst. It wasn't very often that the shy Hyuga presented such an emotion. Clearly she hadn't finished with her plan to blow her boyfriends perverted little mind, and she wanted someone to take it out on.

"I-I'm s-sorry for the interruption H-Hinata-sama, Naruto-san. I apologise fully but Kakashi-sama has called an emergency meeting at the Hokage tower for all Chuunin, Jounin and ANBU. I know you're still a Genin, but He asked me personally to inform you." Neji stated hastily towards the couple as he turned and jumped onto a rooftop opposite the building, and headed for the tower. They were confused at what he had just told them, but they quickly followed suit catching up to him as they began to see many Nin jumping through tree-tops and on roof-tops, all heading for the Hokage tower.

"What the hell's going on Neji? Are we under attack?" Naruto began to get very nervous. He could feel in the pit of his stomach that something was drastically wrong with this situation.

"I have no idea. Kakashi-sama called a group of Jounin to the Hokage office, and then issued the order to round up all ranking Nin. He didn't state the importance of such an emergency." Neji stated in his usual calm tone as they reached the tower. They could see that there were hundreds of Nin stood on the roof. The three quickly ran up the side of the building to join the crowd.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's going on?" Naruto saw Kakashi was stood above the rest of the group, trying to calm everyone down. As soon as everyone heard Naruto's voice, they all turned to him, and made a path for him to walk towards Kakashi. Everyone respected him enough to know that he would probably want to talk to his sensei before this meeting began.

"Ah, Naruto. I will tell you in a moment when the last of the Nin arrive." He smiled at his student and waited silently for the roof to fill up with any stragglers. Everyone in the crowd was beginning to grow extremely anxious. It wasn't very often that all the ninja's in the village were summoned at the same time. The last time it had happened was for the Sandaime's funeral.

"Now that everyone is here, I can begin." Kakashi folded his arms as he looked towards the group. All the chatter had stopped and hundreds of pairs of eyes were focussed on his. "As some of you may know, one of the members of my team is part of Danzo's 'Root' division of ANBU." Many in the sea of people began to mutter between themselves.

"What does that have to do with anything?" A Chuunin stood near the front shouted at the silver haired Sharingan wielder.

"Everything I'm afraid. Some of you, who know of Danzo's teachings, know that he places a seal on all of his division, preventing them from sharing any information about Konoha, or from disrespecting him in any way. Sai seems to believe that the seal has been broken, and the only way that could happen is if Danzo is...dead." The crowd gasped in unison, knowing what this meant for Konoha.

"Are we under attack? What happened to him? Do we know for certain that he is dead?" Kakashi was bombarded with questions as many began to panic that an attack could be eminent at any minute.

"SILENCE!" The crowd all turned to see Naruto was stood beside Kakashi; it didn't take a genius to know what his bright red eyes signified. The sudden outburst from the Hero of Konoha quickly caused any uncertainties in the crowd to subside, as they half listened-half cowered at the anger coming from the boy's voice.

"Thank you Naruto-kun." Kakashi placed his arm apologetically onto Naruto's shoulder, knowing that he really didn't like being so forceful.

"Now if you will allow me to continue I would like to devise a plan. Firstly, I want Sakura and Shizune to lead a squad of eight ANBU towards the route that Danzo would have taken to go to Tetsu no Kuni. Second, I want all remaining Jounin and Chuunin to fortify the wall, and double all guard duties. Finally, I want all ANBU monitoring all movement in the forest, in standard four man teams. Is that understood?" Kakashi asserted his dominance over the group, providing a detailed plan of action before waiting for the reaction from the crowd.

"That will not be necessary Kakashi-san." Everyone on the roof turned to the open door beside Kakashi, revealing a relatively short figure sporting a blue-Kage robe, and hat.

"Gaara." Naruto replied confusedly, not understanding why his friend from Suna was stood on the roof next to him.

"Hello Naruto-san, it is good to see you again." Gaara held out his hand welcomingly towards Naruto, who returned the gesture by shaking it. Many in the crowd looked shocked to see that the boy had a close relationship with the Kazekage. "Kakashi-san, I would like to speak with you in private, along with the council, clan heads and your best medical Nins."

"Um, Hai Kazekage-sama." Kakashi replied. He then gestured to the crowd to stand down and disperse, leaving only those the Gaara had asked for to stand there.

"Is it okay if we discuss this inside, only we have been walking for a day and could do with a rest?" Gaara asked politely, who was led back inside by Kakashi and his entourage. Although Naruto hadn't been asked to stay, he remained with Hinata by his side. Gaara knew that Naruto would want to be involved in the discussion, but he couldn't understand why Hinata was still there.

"Although I appreciate your input Naruto-san, why is Hinata still with you?" He asked quietly, expecting an appropriate reply, but received none. The young Hyuga stopped her handsome boyfriend in the corridor, and kissed him on the cheek before taking her leave. Naruto turned back to remonstrate with Gaara's rudeness, but then he remembered who he had asked for to join in the conversation and continued to move with the group. Koharu and Homura led the group into a large room with a long wooden table, more than large enough for seating the entire group.

"Now, tell us why you are here Kazekage-dono." Koharu stated mildly at the young man, clearly showing a lack of respect to someone so young.

"Danzo did not arrive at the Kage summit, but someone else did in his place. A man, claiming to be Uchiha Madara appeared in the room out of thin air, and told us a number of things." Gaara began quickly, the name he mentioned shocked many in the room, aside from Naruto and Kakashi, who had heard the name mentioned before.

"Impossible, Uchiha Madara was defeated by the Shodaime more than sixty years ago." Hiashi stated in disbelief. His words were seconded by Shikaku, and a number of others around the table.

"Yes, well, I personally have no idea who this man is, or was, but the Tsuchikage and Raikage were both shocked at the name. The man claimed to be the head of Akatsuki and wore their trademark cloak, as well as a swirling orange mask."

"Yes, my team has come across said person in a previous mission. I find it hard to believe that the person you described was Uchiha Madara." Kakashi retorted, thinking about what Naruto had said to him. "That is all good and well Kazekage, but surely you did not come here just to tell us that."

"Sadly no, Madara told the group a number of things. Firstly, that the Hachibi had been captured, but not by Sasuke." Sakura and Naruto both gasped, knowing that Sasuke hadn't been the one to capture the only remaining Biju apart from Naruto.

"S-so he isn't an 'S' rank criminal?" Sakura chirped in, hoping for a positively reply. Gaara's emotionless face remained the same, giving nothing away.

"I'm sorry Sakura, but the next thing I am about to tell you, is the reason I came here. Madara told us that Uchiha Sasuke killed Danzo, who was acting Hokage at the time. If that is the case, then he is an even worse criminal. Killing the Hokage is a treasonable offence, with the only penalty being execution." Sakura's heart stopped beating at what Gaara had just said. She began to go blue as her body stopped breathing.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, snap out of it!" Naruto tried to make her breathe, shaking her violently to snap her out of her comatose state. Eventually she took a large gasp of air and collapsed to the floor, with tears streaming from her face.

"Sasuke killed Danzo? How is that possible? Danzo was one of the strongest in Konoha, there's no way he could have been killed." Koharu stated, clearly upset that her fellow council member and friend had been killed.

"We came across what appeared to be a battle ground at the border, with a large number of ANBU bodies, but none matching the description of Danzo. I asked for medical Nins to be present at this meeting because I brought the bodies back with me, in storage. I would like autopsies to be run on them immediately to ascertain how they died." Gaara pulled out a number of storage scrolls, and placed them on the table. Sakura quickly regained her composure and walked towards Gaara, picking up the scrolls and leaving with Shizune.

"_If I can do this then I might be able to prove Sasuke-kun's innocence." _She thought to herself, hoping that the results of the autopsies would conclude he had nothing to do with this.

The mood back inside the room had quickly deteriorated. The clan heads were beginning to come to terms with the fact that they had lost two Hokage's in the matter of a week, albeit Danzo technically didn't become the Rokudaime. The group continued to listen to what else Gaara had to report from the Kage summit, hearing about what Madara had told them about Konoha's condition, and how the Tsuchikage had reacted. It didn't really surprise anyone that he was so hostile towards them, considering they had clashed many times in the previous wars.

"Well there is only one thing left to do here. We have to choose a new Hokage immediately to send to the Kage summit. Frankly there is only one person in Konoha that fulfils the requirements needed to take the position. I Nara Shikaku, once again nominate Hatake Kakashi for the position as the Rokudaime Hokage." Shikaku's words were met with an eerie silence before anyone else spoke up.

"I Utatane Koharu second the nomination of Hatake Kakashi."

"I Homura Mitokado also agree with this nomination."

"I'm sorry Kakashi-san but I believe that there is someone much stronger than you in this room, who would be a more effective leader, willing to protect this village at all costs. I nominate Uzumaki Naruto." The faces around the table all looked stunned as they heard such a proposal come from the mouth of one Hyuga Hiashi. The man usually spoke his mind, but no one had ever expected him to come out with something so, positive about the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi. You could see everyone was seriously thinking about what he had just said. I mean he _is _the Hero of Konoha after all. The silence was filled with something no one ever expected.

"I honestly appreciate the acknowledgement from Hyuga Hiashi, but please remove my name from this discussion. As much as it is my dream to become the Hokage, I personally feel I am not ready at this present moment. Although I am physically capable of leading this village, I am nowhere near mentally prepared to take up such a position." Naruto smiled at Hiashi in a way that said "Thank you for the thought" and then turned back to Kakashi. "Hatake Kakashi is my Jounin sensei, a master of the Sharingan, and easily the strongest person in this village. Everyone in this room knows that he is better equipped to lead this village than I."

The group looked at the boy's maturity over such a matter. Even though it is his dream, he turned down the opportunity so that someone who would be more capable could take the job.

"Thank you Naruto. I'll definitely treat you to some ramen after this." Kakashi whispered to Naruto, showing how much he appreciated his students backing. The remainder of the clan head placed their votes. Aside from Kakashi and Naruto, no others names were brought forwards into the discussion.

"Very well then, Hatake Kakashi, you will be the Rokudaime Hokage." Koharu stated as she and Homura stood up and headed for the exit. The clan heads stood up and bowed respectfully at the new Hokage and took their leave. All who remained in the room now was the Hokage, the Kazekage, and the Hero of Konoha.

"I am glad that the council decided that you should be the Hokage, Kakashi-san. This will greatly help to maintain the relationship between Konoha and Suna. I just wish it was under better circumstances. I have much respect for Tsunade." Gaara stated peacefully toward Kakashi who retorted something back to the Kazekage, simply saying "thank you". The trio took a moment to think about the actions of the Godaime before Naruto broke the silence by congratulating his sensei. Yet, deep down he felt like he had taken a step back from achieving his goal.

"Where are your bodyguards Gaara-san?" Kakashi asked curiously, but to be fair he could probably guess where Temari was.

"Well, Temari is exactly where you would expect her to be, and Kankuro went to find Shino I think." Gaara replied pleasantly as he looked out of the window towards the darkened streets.

"Akatsuki really did a number on you didn't they?"

"Yeah, but fortunately for us, we had our very own Sage to protect us." Kakashi smiled at his student before patting him on the head ruffling up his hair, like a proud father would do with his son. Naruto just chuckled and looked on at the night sky.

"Could you please direct me to somewhere I could sleep for the night, as we will be returning to the Summit tomorrow morning? Also Kakashi, you should think about who your bodyguards should be. I assume one of them will be Naruto, which will also be useful for the Summit itself, considering he is the sole remaining Jinchuriki." Kakashi looked at the pressure that placed on Naruto, knowing that he was now the only target for Akatsuki.

"Sure, this way please, Kazekage-dono. Good night Naruto, you should get some rest. I want you at the main gates at 10am, packed and ready to go." Kakashi smiled and Gaara nodded slightly in acknowledgment that they were parting ways. The pair disappeared in thin air, leaving Naruto alone in the room. He took one final look around before leaping out of the window, landing in the darkened street below, walking slowly back to his apartment.

* * *

The streets of Konoha were full of life on this particular evening, mostly due to many of the villages Nin drinking away their worries after such a disturbing meeting. Many of the bars and restaurants were crammed full of people making sure they got a good night in, before anything horrible that headed their way in the near future. Kankuro and Shino were busy having a drinking competition in a bar. It was an odd pairing really, the two seemed to bond quite well after their shared pasts. After fighting with, and against each other so many times, they had become good friends.

In the same bar, Team Gai sat in a booth, drinking away uneasily, knowing that something big was going down at the Hokage tower.

"Gai-sensei, was Danzo that strong of a person? Many of the older Jounin's seemed genuinely shocked to find out that he had been killed." Neji asked probingly.

"Well to be truthful, I'm glad he's dead. He was a twisted little man, a warmonger who constantly fought against the ways of the Sandaime. But yes, it is still a shock, as he was the closest rival to the Sandaime, meaning he was one of the strongest this village has to offer." Gai took a big swig of his beer as he looked at Neji, hoping that answer satisfied him. The dark haired hyuga simply nodded and took some of his Sake, before becoming his usual silent self.

"Um, Gai-sensei...who do you think the new Hokage will be?" Lee asked his identical twin as he sipped on his water. Gai had made Lee promise to never drink again, considering what happened the last time he got drunk.

"I have a fair idea Lee-san. It most definitely won't be me if that's what you're wondering. There are very few in this village at this present moment that is both strong enough, and intelligent enough to take up the mantle." Gai replied in a serious manner. "At this present moment, I would like to assume that my eternal rival will have taken up the position. However, he could be closely followed by his young student." Gai laughed at the thought of Naruto being Hokage after he said it, but you could see that he quickly began to doubt saying it as some kind of joke.

"Well, it's getting late. It would be best if we retire for now. Be sure to get plenty of rest, as tomorrow may bring forth a number of issues." Gai paid for the drinks and left, quickly followed by Lee, leaving Tenten and Neji.

"Good night, Neji-kun. I will see you tomorrow." Tenten smiled at her team-mate before standing up and leaving for the exit.

"Um, wait Tenten. Do you mind if I walk you home?" Neji's voice showed clear uncertainty in his delivery. He wasn't sure whether to ask her, in case she rejected his proposal.

"That would be nice Neji-kun." She smiled back at him as she waited for the Jounin to catch up to her. _"YES! He's finally asked to walk me home." _Her inner self was overly excited about Neji's desire to spend more time with her, whereas on the outside she looked calm and collected. She had been waiting a long time for him to ask to spend time with her outside of the team. The pair talked quietly as they walked off into the distance.

* * *

Down a near-by street, a dark clothed figure left a restaurant with a crutch in one hand, and a beautiful blond in the other. He limped heavily due to the cast on his leg, but the assistance of the girl greatly helped his mobility. Considering she was only going to be there for the night, Temari made sure that her boyfriend took her out on a date, even though he was supposed to stay in bed. But, as much as Shikamaru would hate to admit it, she definitely wore the trousers in their relationship. As the couple hobbled down the road, another man and woman crossed their path.

"Iruka-sensei?" Shikamaru was shocked to see his old home room teacher out on a date. He had never seen him with a woman, outside of work hours that is. And what a fine looking woman she was, with a beautiful black dress, and long flowing hair. She sure was a beaut.

"Oh, hello there Shikamaru. How's the leg holding up?" He looked concerned for his former student, but he knew he would be fine if he was walking around on it.

"It's quite troublesome, but as you can see I have a lot of help." He nudged his head towards Temari, who smiled at the couple before pecking him on the cheek. "So who's your 'crutch' then Iru...Wait, Anko?" he cowered back slightly as he said it in such a startled way.

"Hello you little Nara brat. I thought I'd make an effort for my little Iru." She smirked before growling menacingly at the shrinking figure in front of him. Like many of the other Chuunin in Konoha, he was quite scared of the snake wielding Anko. She was definitely someone you did not want to mess with.

"Hm, I t-think we will be going now. Have a nice evening." Iruka was embarrassed by how Anko spoke about him, but he liked it really. He just didn't expect her to act that way around his old students. The couples parted in their separate directions, going back to their own lives.

"Isn't she the one that took the second part of the Chuunin exam?" Temari probed her boyfriend, who simply nodded with fear in his eyes. As soon as she got a reply she too gained the feeling of fear. "God, Iruka must be insane." She stated in disbelief, as they walked back to the Nara family home.

"Wow, I was wondering where you had gotten to, considering that you should be bed ridden for another week. Hello Temari, I'm assuming you dragged his lazy ass out huh?" Shikaku lifted up his beer, taking a sip as he waited for the two to walk into the living room.

"Hello Shikaku-sama, I didn't mean to worry you." She replied, hoping he wasn't too angry at her.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. He's too lazy for his own good. Hopefully enough time around you will change that." He smirked as he continued to drink.

"So, what happened in the meeting?" Shikamaru got serious with his father.

"Well, hello to you too son. It was rather interesting really. Kakashi is the new Hokage; however, Naruto's name was brought forward as a viable alternative. I never expected for the clan heads to seriously think about him taking over the mantle of the Godaime. He shows a maturity beyond his years, but even he still feels that he is not ready." Shikaku stood up and began to walk towards the kitchen, heading towards the fridge to get another beer.

"Seriously? Wow, I'm so far below his level it's untrue." Shikamaru sighed as he sat down, with the assistance of Temari.

"Heh, at least you're not his sibling." She too sighed, knowing that her little brother was so much better than her.

"Kakashi is a strong choice though. I'm assuming you put his name forwards, right dad?" he joked as his father brought back three beers from the kitchen, acknowledging the remark by smacking his son on the back of his head.

"Naruto may be stronger than you, but you are a lot smarter. At this present moment in time, your tactical ability would be a greater asset to Konoha than Naruto's strength." He smiled at his son, trying to make him feel better about himself. The three conversed for a while before finally retiring. Shikamaru let Temari have his bed, whilst he slept on the couch. He didn't think his parents would approve of their antics.

* * *

Hinata lay on her bed, anxiously awaiting the return of her father. She was desperate to know if Naruto was okay. She hated leaving him, but she knew that she had no purpose to be part of the discussion. As soon as she heard the front door open, she rushed out to find her father taking off his shoes.

"Is everything okay father?" He could tell his daughter was distressed about the evening.

"It's fine, everything has been sorted. Kakashi-sama is the new Hokage, and Naruto-san is fine too." She sighed in relief at her father's words, knowing that her beloved Naruto was safe. "It would be wise if you get some rest my daughter. Naruto will be leaving as part of the Hokage's envoy to the Kage Summit. I'm sure he would like to see you before he leaves." He smiled and said his parting words with his daughter as he left for his quarters.

Hinata began to grow worried again. She had never liked it when Naruto left on a mission. It had always made her fret about him, even when they began as rookie Genin all those years ago. She returned to her bedroom, lying herself down on the bed as she gazed at the academy picture she always had on her bed-side table. It was one of the few times that she had gotten to sit next to Naruto during the academy years. She cherished much more than any of her possessions.

"_I hope he will be alright. I don't want him to get attacked like Danzo did." _She sighed to herself before rooting around in her bag for something to occupy her as she couldn't sleep. Her hand wondered onto something that she had forgotten that she had.

"Let's see why this is so much better than romantic pornography." The petite Hyuga joked as she opened the battered book to the first page.

* * *

Thank you for reading. I know it was a bit long again, but I got a bit carried away. I love to write, even if it's not very good.

I apologise to anyone who expected the usual fight scene, but I felt that I should use the chapter to develop the Naruhina storyline a bit more, whilst also bringing in some other relationships. Don't worry though, I promise there will be a fair share of violence in the next chapter. ;-)

And before anyone has a go at me for slagging off Slipknot, I absolutely love them...it was just a private joke.

Please take time to review this story, I reply to all reviews, good or bad.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Yo. I don't own Naruto. I'm over it.

***Chapter 6 - ***

A cloaked figure lurked around the iron gates of Konoha, waiting patiently as the sun rose from above the trees in the distance. He perched himself on a branch, leaning against the trunk with some straw rolling over his teeth. The rays shone down on him, illuminating him like some form of angelic figure, looking down on Konoha. The excitement of being given a mission had quickly subsided after he had awoken, and realised the importance that it held for the village's future, as well as his own. The mixture of the hood on his white cloak, and the beaming sunshine made it almost impossible to see any recognisable features; it appeared as he was faceless. All you could see from underneath the hood was darkness, and the straw he gritted between his teeth. The figure appeared to be in deep thought, contemplating a number of issue's that could arise from failure.

It wasn't like the guy had never failed a mission before, but the weight this mission carried simply reassured his panicked mind that failure was not an option. He could only imagine what atrocities could arise if he did. The death of his friends? The destruction of his precious village, for a second time in a couple of weeks? The end of the world as he knew it? The responsibilities such a mission placed on a person could drive anyone to insanity.

Fortunately for this person, he was not just anyone. He was...

The man was too busy preparing himself for the journey ahead, that he completely missed the presence of two ANBU stood directly above him. They seemed cautious, yet held restraint as they began to talk to him.

"State your business here." A woman with a sorrowful looking porcelain mask ordered the man as she appeared to pull a kunai from her pouch.

"Huh? Oh, sorry ANBU-san. I didn't notice you there." The figure replied as he looked up at them, raising his hands to his face as he pulled the hood down, revealing his piercing blue eyes and yellowy blond hair to the ANBU guard.

"N-Naruto-sama? I-I'm sorry to have disturbed you. My apologies." The ANBU member replied sheepishly.

"It's okay ANBU-san. I guess I did look a bit suspicious with my hood up." He smiled at her. Although he couldn't see it, he could feel her smile back at him. "And you don't have to call me 'sama', I'm not your superior." The blond chuckled as he spoke. He still couldn't get used to it.

"I-I mean no disrespect Naruto-sama, but you _are _superior to almost every Nin in this village. But I have to ask, why are you here? Your mission doesn't begin for another two hours." She appeared to genuinely shock the boy as she spoke. Only Kakashi, and possibly Hiashi had ever really shown him such respect when it came down to his abilities. He felt like some superstar, everyone appeared to respect him, and understand his power.

"True, but I couldn't sleep. This mission is far too important for failure. I just needed time to think about some things before-hand." He smiled again, but it was clear that this appeared to be somewhat phony. Something was troubling him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"You shouldn't worry Naruto-sama. Everyone in this village has faith that you, and Hokage-sama will succeed in forming the treaty. Now, if you don't mind I will take my leave." Without time for him to reply, the two figures had disappeared, leaving him alone again to contemplate what lies ahead of him.

"_What is this feeling? I feel so cold inside..." _Naruto pondered to himself.

"**Don't ask me kid, I don't understand your 'human' emotions." **

"_I wasn't asking...go back to sleep." _Naruto replied dryly, waiting for a crude reply but none came.

He sat there a little while longer. He couldn't understand why he was torturing himself with all these 'what if's'. No matter how hard the teen thought about other things, his mind kept coming back to the same image, over and over. It was such a disturbing thing to see just once, but to keep reliving it. It felt like his heart was being ripped apart.

"Hinata..." He sighed as he tried to shake the image from his mind.

He knew that it was something that happened in a split second, but in his mind it felt like an eternity.

"I can't go through that again. I _will _protect you. I _will _protect everyone." He spoke as if there was a knot in his throat, choking the words out of him. The emotional teen replaced his hood and hid his face as he began to sob quietly.

Naruto remained like that for some time. It was like a release of pent up anger and frustration that he had held inside him since the Pain incident. His mind had betrayed him, making him think that he had gotten over the ordeal of finding out that Kakashi had died. That in itself was bad enough, but having to watch the brave and beautiful Hyuga Princess fall, right in front of his eyes, was just too much. That single moment, where he looked on her lifeless body, lingered in his mind. Nothing he could think about could shake it.

Naruto's mood quickly changed as he felt a familiar chakra walking towards the gate. He waited in silence as he could hear their footsteps draw in on his position.

"Good-morning Naruto-kun." A tired sounding kunoichi greeted the cloaked figure, who had now appeared right in front of her.

"Hinata-hime..." She could feel the emotion in his voice as he grabbed hold of her tightly. The second he could feel her flowing hair tickle his neck, all the pain melted away.

"I-is everything okay Naruto-kun?" She was concerned for him. She had never known him appear to be in so much pain.

"Now that you're here, everything is perfect." His sadness had quickly dissipated. All he could do was smile happily at her beautiful face as he kissed her gently. Their lips separated as they joined into a hug once again.

"I'm glad you're here Naruto-kun, I came early to be sure that I didn't miss you."

"That's sweet Hinata-hime, but there is no way in hell I'd leave without seeing you. I needed to gaze into your eyes one last time before I could put my mind at ease." He smiled again as they broke apart. "Kakashi-sensei won't be here for another hour. Do you want to get some breakfast?"

"I'd like that Naruto-kun." She waited a moment before continuing. "Are you sure that you're okay? You seem a little, spooked." The concern in her voice made Naruto worry slightly. He didn't want her to see him in that state, but he just wanted to hold her in his arms.

"How about I tell you over breakfast? I don't know about you, but I'm starving." In response, Hinata's stomach growled loudly at him. "I suppose you are too." He smirked as they walked back into the village. It didn't take long to find a breakfast bar, which was close enough to the gate so that they could still get back on time.

"I don't even know why I'm going to bother getting there for 10. Kakashi-sensei is persistently late. He doesn't know what 'on-time' means." Naruto grumbled as he picked up his knife and fork as he looked at the full-English placed before him.

"I'm sure that being Hokage will give him the motivation he needs." Hinata joked as she took a sip of her tea.

"Wanna bet?" Naruto smirked. _"There's no way I can lose when it comes down to Kakashi's laziness. At times he's worse than Shikamaru." _

"Okay." He was surprised that she actually agreed. Clearly she didn't know how bad Kakashi actually was. "How about, if I win, you take me out to the most expensive restaurant in Konoha?" She smirked at his reply. He looked so confident.

"And if I win, you have to finish what you started last night." The smirk on her face was quickly replaced by blushing cheeks as she bit her lip.

"Done. But Naruto-kun, I would have done that anyway." The seduction in her voice took Naruto by surprise slightly, causing his cheeks to flare.

"I know Hina-hime, but I didn't want to mug you for a bet, because I know I'm going to win." He responded as their eyes met. Neither looked away as they gazed lovingly into each other's glowing eyes. Whenever he looked at her, his heart skipped a beat.

"I love you Hinata. If I lost you again I..." Naruto began to feel the lump in his throat return as he tried to speak to her.

"Y-you've never lost me Naruto-kun. I've always been yours." The confusion in her voice was dismissed by her overriding concern for Naruto's current state. It seemed like he had reverted back to how he was when she had met him earlier.

"I-I have...at-at least I thought I had. I-I just can't get rid of the images." A single tear began to trickle from his watering eyes. His composure was beginning to falter as he felt her arms wrapped around him. His face was being snuggled into her comforting bosom, as he wept quietly.

"It's okay Naruto-kun, I'm here. Just tell me what all this is about." He lingered in her arms before he began to motion her to let go. Hinata sat down again as she placed her hand on to his.

Naruto tried to regain his composure. He sat there, wheezing gently for about five minutes before his breathing returned to normal. He composed himself and looked directly at the ground as he prepared to speak.

"The last thing I remember of the Pain fight before I met my father...was your lifeless body in a pool of blood. If only for a split second, in my heart it felt like you were dead. And for some reason today, I just can't shake the image from my mind, and it's slowly killing me." The boy just sat there, still. He didn't mutter another word after this, and neither did Hinata.

They sat in silence for about ten minutes as they both tried to finish their breakfast. Seemingly both had lost their appetites after hearing that. Naruto plucked up a little courage as he took her hand.

"I'm sorry for telling you that, I just want you to understand how I feel about you. If this mission goes wrong, I will protect you with everything I have. I will not have history repeat itself. I love you Hinata. There is nothing on this earth that could sway me away from you." Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as he spoke. He had finally managed to tell her how he felt, and it felt like a weight had been lifted. Hinata just stared back him with sympathetic eyes.

"Naruto, I understand. Truly I do. But you must understand that I'm not going to let you see me like that again. I will become the strongest Kunoichi this world has ever seen, and then _I _will not fail to protect _you_. The love in my heart for you will burn for an eternity. I will not cause you pain, ever again." The determination in her voice struck Naruto hard. He truly understood what it meant to be in love. They mutually wanted to protect each other, with all their heart.

The couple just looked at each other. It seemed like time was slowing around them as Naruto began to lean towards her. Neither could understand what it was, but it felt like the whole world was revolving around them, like gravity was pulling everything towards them. The moment their lips touched, nothing but silence could be heard. The sensational bliss of sharing a kiss with the lavender eyed Hyuga instantly replaced the torturous images in his mind, with something much more fitting to his current feelings. Every time he shut his eyes, all he could see was hers staring back at him. After what seemed like an eternity, the couple broke apart, much to Naruto's dismay, but he saw Hinata had something to say.

"What time is it Naruto-kun?" she tried to hold back a smirk as she spoke.

Without hesitation Naruto replied. "It's 9.48, why do y...Oh, HELL NO!" Hinata burst out laughing as a tall figure, donning red Kage robes, walked by in the back ground. To his left was Gaara. They appeared to be in deep conversation as they walked through the street. Many who were in the shop doorways and looking around the stalls were gazing at the pair as they walked. Kakashi towered over Gaara, but he looked so awkward in his new attire it was untrue.

"I think that means that I win Naruto-kun." she smiled as she pecked him on the cheek as his gobsmacked face just gazed at his old sensei.

"Son of a...There's no way in hell he is going to be _early_. That bastard has some explaining to do." The words were followed by an angry huff.

"Now, now Naruto-kun, no need to swear. I'm sure he has a legitimate reason." That caught his attention, but he did not reply.

"I'll pay for this sweetie. Let's go on over to the gate. I don't want to be _late _now do I?" The sarcasm in his voice was almost unbearable, but she just found it funny as she stood up and linked his arm.

It only took a couple of minutes to reach the gate, and much to their surprise, there was a large group of people there. Clan heads, citizens, a number of shinobi had all come out to send off the new Hokage, and the Kazekage.

"Wow, I didn't expect it to be this busy. No wonder he's early. It's not that bad if you're late for three genin, but being late for nearly the whole council, even Kakashi isn't that stupid." Hinata just pecked him on the cheek as she hugged herself into his shoulder, squeezing him tightly as she knew she wasn't going to see him for a few days.

"Naruto, come with me." Before he could reply Hinata had dragged him away from the crowd, into a secluded alley way. No one was around, it was perfect.

"Hinata-hime, what are you doing?" he giggled as she grabbed his shoulders and nibbled gently on his neck, before kissing it.

"You're leaving in five minutes. I want to say 'goodbye'." With this remark he got the gist and pushed her against the wall, pinning her against it as he kissed her. The passion was racing from them like bolts of electricity. Neither one of them wanted to be away from the other, but they just had to get used to the fact that they might not be able to go on missions together. Separation was an unfortunate side-effect of being a ninja. The couple pressed their bodies together, kissing, biting, trying to fulfil their urges any way they could in such a short time.

"Crap, its 10 past." Naruto said as he looked at his watch from underneath his cloak.

"I'm sure he won't mind. You can just blame him for bringing you up that way." She smiled as she kissed him again. Another five minutes went by.

"Hold out your hand and close your eyes." She complied and waited silently as he pecked her on the lips. She felt something cold land on her hand and recoiled slightly. "You can open them now."

"Na-Naruto-kun. I-It's beautiful." Hinata stuttered for the first time in a while as she was shocked at what was in her hand.

He smiled at her as he un-did the silver bracelet and placed it around her wrist. The chain itself was nothing special, but what it had on it was what was important.

"That signifies the key to my heart. I want you to have it, because you are the only one who will ever be able to unlock it." The bracelet had a small heart-shaped lock, with a tiny key, small enough to fit inside it.

"I love you Naruto-kun, with all my heart. This is truly the nicest thing anyone has ever given me. Thank you." Her heart raced as she was urged to kiss him again, but didn't. She knew that he was already twenty minutes late and didn't want to make the Hokage wait any longer.

"Oh, and one more thing, Hina-hime. _This _key is the key to my apartment. I don't know how long I'm going to be gone for, so could you keep an eye on it for me?" He placed the key in her hand and she simply nodded in return.

They walked to the back of the crowd and hugged briefly before saying their goodbyes. Naruto gathered some chakra into his legs and jumped over the entire crowd, landing next to Kakashi.

"Yo." Naruto said coolly.

"You're half an hour late Naruto." Kakashi seemed quite pissed off.

"Sorry I'm late, I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life." Naruto sighed as he used Kakashi's infamous words.

Silence...

"Now that everyone is _finally_ here, we can depart. Whilst I'm gone, Shikaku will be in charge. Of course, if Tsunade regain's consciousnesses then you are to relinquish the role to her." Kakashi ordered assertively.

"Hai Hokage-sama." Shikaku replied in unison with the Nin that lingered in the group. Kakashi then closed in on Shikaku, placing a sealed scroll in his hands. The Nara clan head opened the scroll and began to read, away from prying eyes.

_Shikaku, I want you to round up Anko and Sai. I want them to return to their previous mission immediately._

_Keep it on the down low. We don't know if any spies remain in the village._

_Regards, _

_Rokudaime Hokage, Hatake Kakashi._

The six turned away from the group and jumped off into the trees, bounding quickly in their three man groups. Kakashi led at the front, closely tailed by Yamato and Naruto. Gaara ran behind Naruto, with Kankuro and Temari on his wings. Naruto took a quick glance back to the crowd, noticing a young Hyuga stood at the front, waving madly at him. He could only smile in return as he waved back, before moving back into formation.

"Is that how annoying it was whenever I made you wait?" Kakashi threw the question to Naruto in a deflated fashion.

"Yep. And just like you taught me, you got a stupid explanation...one from your quote list I might add." Naruto grinned back at the Hokage in his childish way.

"Wow, I really must have pissed you guy's off quite a lot huh?" Kakashi sighed, waiting for a reply. Naruto quickly felt a presence rise up behind him.

"Hm, is that vanilla I smell? I wonder who wears such a scent in Konoha. Hinata perhaps?" Temari was stood right behind Naruto, sniffing away at his cloak.

Naruto turned back to Temari and glared at her with uncomfortable looking eyes. He was desperate for her to shut up, but she just smiled and continued.

"Another thing, you've got a little bit of lipstick on your cheek, Naruto-san." She smirked and rubbed it off him, showing the smudge on her finger.

"Hm, you smell a little smoky Temari-san? You can't possibly have been to the pub this early in the morning." He saw the defeat in her eyes as she jumped back behind Gaara, giving the blond a sinister glare, before she was interrupted by an outburst of laughter by the red-head beside her.

"God I've missed you Naruto...It's never a dull moment with you around." Gaara tried to speak as he was still laughing. Naruto couldn't help but laugh. Kakashi, Yamato and Temari all looked mortified that Gaara was actually laughing. That almost never happened.

"Nice to see you too Gaara. I just wish it were under better circumstances." Naruto got serious again as he gave the group a quick glance before returning his attention to the trees in front of him.

The group moved in silence for a while, jumping through the tree-tops in formation. It was a peaceful day, all that they could hear was the sound of the birds singing, and the wind whistling. Although it was a hot day, it had become quite overcast. It seemed quite dark in the forest, yet no one could feel anything out of the ordinary. They were maintaining a good pace. They would be into the country by nightfall, but would not reach the village until the next day, which was within the three day time limit.

"Naruto, I hope this doesn't sound out of place, but I want to discuss something with you." Kakashi spoke quietly, so that only Naruto could hear.

"Is this really the time Kakashi-sensei, I mean Hokage-sama?" Naruto felt that he should address him with his full title.

"You don't have to call me that." He smiled but he liked the gesture. "But yes, this is the right time to talk about this." By now the others had bunched up slightly so that they could listen in.

"Very well then, what is it?" Naruto knew it was going to be something important, but he didn't think it was appropriate to talk about it with other people listening in.

"I'm extremely happy that you have found someone, and I'm very proud of you..." He started off quite happily, like a father praising his son. "...But, I have to heed caution to you. Now that you are the sole remaining Jinchuriki, that makes you Akatsuki's top priority. That means that those who are closest to you will become targets. I don't want you to place Hinata into harm's way." Kakashi's concern in his voice really didn't faze Naruto, who just carried on facing ahead of himself, barely showing any signs that he registered his comment.

"Yeah, I know." Naruto replied with a distinct lack of emotion.

"You do?" Kakashi seemed confused. He couldn't understand why Naruto would continue to flaunt their relationship if he knew the issue's that could arrive from it.

"Of course I do. But I guess I'm just being selfish. Ever since the Pain fight I just didn't feel the same unless I'm with Hinata. She is strong, beautiful, funny, and smart. She owns my heart, and I can't just ignore that fact." Naruto just continued to jumped, unfazed by the stares from the five people around him.

"Naruto, that's not what I'm saying." Kakashi was cut off by the blond.

"Yeah, I know it's not. But let's face it. _You _of all people should know that I intend to keep my promises. And I have promised to protect Hinata-hime from harm, from anyone. I _will _protect her, no matter what comes my way. I don't care if the whole world knows about us; I will not let anyone touch a hair on her head. If they are stronger than me, I will strive to get stronger. If they are stronger still, I will not stop until I can defeat them. For the first time in my life, I am truly happy, and _nothing_ will stand in the way of that." Naruto's word appeared to resonate around the forest, so that every one of the group could hear each syllable perfectly.

"Naruto..." Kakashi was barely audible as he sighed. He had never realised how strongly he had felt about her. He had thought it was just some harmless fling. I mean, who wouldn't be turned on by a Kunoichi who dove in to save their life, at risk of losing their own?

"Surely you have loved before, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto was intrigued by Kakashi's lack of resistance to his argument.

Kakashi had no reply. His eyes began to sadden as he reminisced on a past experience.

"I didn't even know you had a girlfriend Naruto." Yamato chirped in, trying to change the conversation.

He was one of the few people in Konoha that knew Kakashi well enough to know about him and Rin. Kakashi had taken it hard when she died. When she had gone, he had almost nothing left to live for. He joined ANBU and constantly begged for missions with a low chance of success. Although he would never admit it, he was too much of a coward to take his own life. Taking such daring missions was the only way that he would be able to die, to be able to see her face again in the afterlife. Unfortunately for Kakashi, he found that he was extremely lucky when it came down to his missions. He had a near perfect record. ANBU had changed him. The desire to die, quickly transformed into a desire for blood. The only way he ever felt anything, was after he extinguished the life of another.

Yamato was an unlucky rookie when he joined the ranks. He was given to Kakashi as a student. The desire for the kill quickly grew inside him. It wasn't long before he had been transformed into someone, nearly as heartless as Kakashi. The pair bonded, which was unusual for Kakashi who appeared to have no friends after the death of his soul-mate. It was then that Yamato had found out how she had died.

During a simple reconnaissance mission to Kiri, Kakashi's team were ambushed by a large group of Kiri Jounin. Kakashi managed to fend off most of them, but he had already lost one of his team. Another of his team was injured, and was being treated by Rin. One of the Jounin managed to break through his attacks, and Rin was struck in the neck by a stray kunai. It didn't take long for her to bleed out. She died in his arms.

Kakashi managed to bring back the wounded team-member, but he failed the mission, and lost his beautiful Rin. Even to this day, he never spoke about it. Yamato was the closest thing he had to a friend during his darkest years.

Naruto saw Yamato's reaction and took his lead in changing the conversation. It was a hard thing for Naruto to see. Kakashi had always lacked emotion, but from his reaction to his question, he finally understood why.

"Yeah, that would be because you are clueless, Yamato-taichou. You're worse than Sai sometimes." He smirked, knowing it would pry a reaction from him.

"Hey, now that's hardly fair. He thinks that being social means repeating things he reads in those god awful books." Yamato really didn't like to be compared to Sai; after all he was a bit of a freak.

"I guess you're right. Some of the stuff he comes out with. Once he told Sakura she was ugly and he thought it was a compliment." Naruto heard Kakashi laugh a little. _"That's better."_ Naruto thought to himself.

"Seriously? Jesus, how long was he in hospital for after that?" Kankuro smirked.

"About a week. She broke his nose and fractured a few ribs. That's not even the funny part though. When we went out with the 'Konoha eleven' for a meal to celebrate him getting out of hospital, he called Ino beautiful, when Sakura was sat right next to him. He was practically thrown back to the hospital by the punch that she gave him."

"Shit, she is a scary one. God knows why Lee follows her around like a lost puppy." Gaara added, making Kakashi laugh a bit more. It seemed like the conversation had been taken away from Kakashi's apparent loss. He appeared to be fine now, which made everyone feel a little easier around him.

"I hear she's not the only one that's got a little admirer." Naruto replied suggestively towards the red-headed Kage. The youngest sibling quickly turned to his brother, then his sister, giving them both a glare that slightly scared the duo.

"Hey, don't look at me. I've not said anything Nii-san, honest." Temari appeared to cross her heart as she looked at him sheepishly. Gaara saw the innocence in her eyes and quickly turned to his brother.

"Hey, I'm with her. Don't look at me." Kankuro held his hands up, voiding himself of the blame.

"I don't know where you've got your information from, but if I catch them, there will be hell to pay." Gaara got defensive quite quickly.

"Come on now Gaara, you don't want to maim your sister's husband-to-be before they tie the knot, do you?" Naruto just laughed as he dropped the shadow Nin in it. _"That will get him back for dobbing me in to Sakura, when I snuck out of the hospital with Hinata."_

"**You're pure evil boy." **Kyubi jeered from his cage.

"_You must be rubbing off on me." _Naruto replied coyly.

"**Whatever."**

"That son of a lazy bastard. I'm going to kill him when I get my hands on him."

"It seems that you admire your admirer. Isn't that sweet? From what I remember, she was your only student, right?" Naruto toyed with his friend, knowing too well that it would provoke him.

"I'm the bigger man, I'm walking away from this." Gaara stuck his nose up and appeared to stop paying attention to Naruto's remarks.

"Actually, I hate to break it to you, but I'm like four inches taller than you."

"God Damnit Naruto!" Gaara exclaimed.

* * *

A cave carved into a cliff face, was harbouring more than it appeared. From the outside, it seemed like it was shallow, shrouded in darkness. However, it was all the work of a genjutsu, worked by Madara. The cave was much larger, housing a number of rooms and secret passages. This was just one of the many Akatsuki hideouts, hidden in plain sight all over the ninja world.

The roaring fire in the corner of the main room provided heat that circulated throughout the facility. Karin was conscious, but still felt slightly fatigued. Usually her powers would have returned to her, but Jugo required a lot more chakra than the usual person. But, to be perfectly honest, she didn't mind. She was grateful to him. If it wasn't for him, she would have been incinerated by the suicide explosion jutsu used by one of the 'Root' members.

"Are you okay Karin?" a voice called out from the side of her.

"Yeah Sa-, I mean Jugo. I'm fine." She was a little saddened that Sasuke wasn't the one at her bedside, but she was still happy to see Jugo. He really wasn't as bad as she thought he had been, from previous encounters. As long as he wasn't using his seal, he was one of the friendliest, most pleasant people she had ever met. She quite liked it.

"I can only apologise again for taking so much of your chakra. I promise I'll make it up to you." Jugo retorted quietly. He felt guilty about it. Although he had saved her life, he felt that he had been the one that put her in danger in the first place.

"It's okay Jugo, you've already saved my life. There's nothing else you could possibly do for me." she smiled comfortingly at him, knowing that he still felt down about it all.

"So you've given up trying to get knocked up by Sasuke, and now you're after Jugo. You are a terrible person." Suigetsu's snide remark caused her to flip him off. She would have gone and beaten him, but she was still too tired. It was clear in his delivery that he was jealous. Deep down, he had always shown great affection for the sensor Nin, but she just considered him to be a petty experiment.

"Now, now children. Play nice or I'll have to separate you. And by separate, I mean dismember." Kisame heckled loudly from the other side of the room. You couldn't really see him; all you could see were his shark-like eyes, sparkling in the darkness.

Suigetsu instantly backed down. Karin noticed it, but Jugo didn't. It was very rare for him to back down from anything, especially from Kisame. He simply made a hand-gesture in Kisame's direction and walked off into a different room, where he could hear the sound of two people arguing. Of course when he got in there, he realised it was just one extremely schizophrenic person, debating fiercely between the black and white halves. Suigetsu just ignored it and moved across the room, to a small cot. He pulled his sword from his back and began to sharpen it.

Sasuke and Madara were sat at a table, examining the prisoner. He was still alive, but he lay next to Samehada, which severely limited his chakra supply. The trauma caused by having both of his legs sheared off really didn't help either. He was in a near comatose state. Although his eyes were open, no one was home. They appeared empty and void of life.

"So, what do you do with him now?" Sasuke asked quietly, hoping for a direct answer. Of course he was asking Madara, who was a master of answering questions without actually answering them.

"Now we seal him." Madara sighed as he lifted his mask and brought some Sake to his mouth.

"Into what? Do you seal him into a person, or a statue or what?" The answer just provided Sasuke with more questions.

"All will be revealed in due-time." Madara stood up and turned his attention to the dead body in the room. After pulling out a scalpel, he the cut into the man's eye-socket, carefully peeling away the flesh. It was a precise skill to remove an eye from the socket, without damaging it, but it didn't appear to take the elder Uchiha that long. Clearly the man had some expertise in surgery. The eye was placed into a jar filled with fluid, and positioned into an empty spot on a wall full of similar jars.

"Now, onto your next assignment." Madara was halted before he could advance further.

"I already know what my next assignment is. It is an assassination." Sasuke smirked weakly and stood up, heading towards the door. He collected his sword and fixed it to his back, as he swooped down and picked up his Akatsuki cloak from the bed.

"I will be back in a few days." Sasuke spoke to no one in particular as he dismissed the genjutsu and left the cave, only to be drenched immediately by the thunderstorm outside. He walked south, heading directly for Konoha.

* * *

In the depths of Konoha's hospital, a small group of medics frantically worked on the twelve ANBU bodies that had been recovered by the Kazekage and his team. The morgue was a dark and dingy room, considering it was entirely underground. No natural light could be found. It was a very spacious area, with each body evenly separated into three rows of four. They had been at it for the best part of a day now, without rest. This was more to do with the order's given by the head medical Nin, rather than directly from the Hokage. She was desperately trying to prove the Kazekage wrong in his assumptions.

The damaged caused to some of the 'Root' members left the bodies looking like they were no longer human. Many suffered first degree burns, clearly through the use of various Raiton and Katon Jutsu's. One of the members had a hole straight through her head. What remained of her charred mask was fused to what was left of her face. The horror that came with working on these lifeless figures was too much for some, who couldn't bear looking at them. The smell was unbearable, and the sight was distressing at the very least. One of the junior staff was too busy hurling up in the corner to be of any use to proceedings.

A number of bodies had suffered more than others. Some were very lucky, appearing to have died quickly from sword wounds to vital areas, whereas others were not so lucky. It seemed like some had been maliciously tortured, before being eventually finished off by what appeared to be hundreds of small puncture wounds.

They had just about managed to glean everything they could from the slowly decomposing corpses in front of them. Although Sakura didn't personally know them, she felt a great sadness as she looked upon their faces. Her findings made her realise that she had been wrong, yet she still had trouble accepting it.

"I'm sorry Sakura-san, but the autopsies were conclusive with the information we were provided by Kazekage-dono. There is a very high probability that they were killed by Uchiha Sasuke." Shizune placed a comforting shoulder on to the young kunoichi. She knew it would be hard for her to accept.

"I-I...It can't have been him. I refuse to acc..." Sakura's woeful attempt to defend the Uchiha was thwarted by Shizune.

"I know it's hard to accept Sakura, but you have to face the facts. Every one of the bodies that Kazekage-dono brought back with him was killed by sword, Raiton, or Katon. Sasuke has an affinity in both fire and lightning elemental chakra, and according to a report by your team, he carries a sword of Kusanagi." Shizune was trying very hard to make her words sink in to the thick skinned Haruno. She had always had trouble accepting that Sasuke was no longer the person she knew. This was just another piece of evidence to that fact.

"It can't have been him. It just can't of." Sakura replied dejectedly.

"Sakura, look at that body. Look at the wound that killed him. Does that not look like the work of a Chidori blast? We both know that only two people are known for using such a technique, and one of them has been in this very village for the past week." The rest of the medics just looked on at the two chief medical shinobi, clearly showing contrasting views on the findings. The senior brunette was reaching her tether with the pink-haired kunoichi. She knew it was hard for her, but she couldn't allow her to dwell on him any longer, it was visible to all that it was slowly crushing her soul.

"Hai, Shizune-san." The defeat in her voice was clear. She wasn't even trying to hide her sadness from her peers. "I will relay my report to Hokage-sama, whoever that is." She continued as she removed her bloodied medical gloves and washed her hands.

"Sakura..." Shizune said as she sighed at the leaving kunoichi. Sakura simply replied by flailing a hand in a form of wave as she walked away.

"_I really cannot accept this. I'm sure Naruto will know what to do." _She thought to herself as she left the room and walked towards the stairs.

* * *

About nine hours had passed since the two Kages had left Konoha. The sun was slowly setting over the tranquil village. The shadows of the buildings rapidly grew as the sun's angle declined, until it eventually disappeared behind the Hokage monument, leaving a momentary darkness before the moon presented itself. The last beam of the day's natural light shone through Naruto's window, illuminating his shoe-box of an apartment.

The light caught a figure walking from his kitchen. What a stunning figure it was. The light complimented her curves, emphasising her perfect hips and bust as she walked. She had been separated from her love for less than half a day, and already the aching pain of being without him grew in her heart.

Although she didn't really have a reason to check up on his apartment so soon after he had left, she felt the need to be surrounded by mementos that reminded her of him. His apartment was very basic, but it felt like a paradise for her mind. She had shared his company of food that he had greatly complimented her for. She had lived the most pleasurable moment in her life in the room next door to where she sat. Just being there again reminded her of how great it was to be with him. His aroma lingered on everything. She loved it. All her worries seemed to melt away as she sat peacefully in his living room. It was weird without him being there, but it was significantly more comforting than being back at the Hyuga compound.

Her mind seemed to stare aimlessly at the ceiling for a long time as she contemplated what it would be like if they actually lived together. Being able to wake up next to his handsome face, and chiselled body every morning, now that was an image she just couldn't remove from her head.

"I wish you were here Naruto-kun." She sighed as she took a sip of some coffee she had made earlier.

To her surprise, a knock suddenly came from the door. She jumped up instantly, almost spilling the sizzling beverage all over her as she ran to the door.

"_Maybe, just maybe..." _She eagerly opened the door. Who was stood there was not who the young Chuunin had expected. All she could see of the girl was her pink-hair. The girl's face was buried in her hands as she silently sobbed a river of tears.

"Sakura-chan, what's up?" Hinata asked quietly, so that she didn't startle her.

"H-Hinata? I-is N-Naruto-kun here?" She replied hesitantly. It was a struggle at the moment for her to form words, but she fought through the pain of trying to speak.

"He's gone on a mission with Kakashi-san. I thought you would have known considering you were at the meeting last night. Is there anything I can do to help?" The white-eyed teen smiled slightly, trying to consolidate the visibly distressed medical Nin.

Before she could offer her a tissue, a blur of pink rushed toward her and began to cry heavily into her shoulder. All Hinata could do in reply was embrace her in a comforting hug. After a short while, Sakura released herself from Hinata, revealing an extensively large wet-patch where she had been leaning on her.

"I'm so-sorry Hinata. I-I just don't know what to do." She had almost stopped crying, but she was still extremely emotional.

"It's okay Sakura-san. Take a seat and I'll get you a drink. Is coffee okay?" She replied with a slight nod as she headed towards the couch. Hinata shut the door behind her and locked it, before retreating to the kitchen to brew up a fresh pot of molten black liquid.

"So, why are you _alone _in Naruto-kun's apartment?" Sakura still seemed upset, but she was a gossip queen after all.

Hinata came back into view, passing Sakura a mug as she sat down besides her, picking up her own drink.

"He gave me the key to his apartment before he left. He wanted me to look after it whilst he was gone." She smiled at Sakura, in a way that told her to stop dodging the problem and get on with it. Sakura placed her mug down and sighed deeply.

"We have spent the best part of a day going over the autopsies of a number of 'Root' ANBU members that Gaara found on his way to Konoha. According to him, a member of Akatsuki claimed that Sasuke-kun had ki...kill...killed..." Sakura couldn't continue any longer. Hinata just placed an arm around her; she had never seen the confident girl this messed up before. She was even worse than when Sasuke had left.

"Sasuke is supposed to have been the one that killed Danzo?" Hinata remembered last night's meeting and drew her own conclusions. Sakura's nod appeared to be the only reply that Hinata needed.

"I'm assuming that the autopsy results led you to draw the same conclusion?" she waited for another nod before she tried to consolidate her further. They sat in silence for about ten minutes. Sakura was too upset to form words, and Hinata couldn't find the words to calm her. All she could do was sit there, thinking about how she would feel if Naruto had been the one that had of done it, instead of Sasuke. It was not a pleasant thought.

"I'm sorry about this Hinata, but I don't know who to turn to. I thought that Naruto might be able to understand. I just can't deal with it. I shouldn't have feelings for him, but I just can't dismiss them. All the things he's done, he truly has gone too far. Yet, I still love him."

Hinata looked on in dismay at what Sakura just said. It was like her own emotions were twisting her judgement.

"I-I don't know if Naruto-kun could have helped you with this Sakura-san." She began timidly. "I don't think he knows what to think about Sasuke at the moment. After all, with Sasuke's supposed new affiliation with Akatsuki, he could be the next person that is sent to capture him. Naruto-kun wants to stop him, but I think he's come to the conclusion that he's too far gone to be brought back." Hinata saw the light dim in Sakura's eyes. She could see that her words had truly dented Sakura's spirit.

"I-I understand. If Naruto can't forgive him, how am I supposed to?" she sighed again.

"Oh, I'm sure Naruto-kun will forgive him. After all, he is his best-friend. It's just; he has already killed his brother. If he was true to his word, he would have returned to the village after that. Yet he is continuing down the same path. Can you honestly believe that he will return to how he was?" Hinata asked delicately, so that she didn't set her off again. It was pretty clear that Sakura was unstable in her mind.

"No..." It was barely audible but Hinata managed to catch it.

"Sakura-san, you have to follow your heart. Deep down, what do you think is the right thing to do?" Sakura appeared to have no answer. She finished her coffee and stood up.

"Thank you Hinata-chan. Now, if you don't mind, I have to deliver my report to the new Hokage-sama." Hinata chuckled a bit in reply.

"That will be difficult. Naruto left with him this morning to return to the Kage summit. I think Nara Shikaku is acting Hokage until Kakashi-sama returns."

"W-what!" Sakura exclaimed. "They made Kakashi-sensei Hokage? He's even lazier than Shikamaru." Sakura was bewildered at his appointment, yet also proud that her sensei had become the leader of Konoha.

"You would think so wouldn't you? But, Naruto-kun has already lost one bet with me over his laziness. I would love to have seen your reaction if the other candidate had been given the title." Hinata smirked as she saw the cogs clicking over in Sakura's mind.

"No...Way..."

"Umhum. But apparently he turned it down as he felt that Kakashi-sama was the stronger candidate." Hinata stood up and walked towards the door with Sakura.

"Our Naruto truly has grown up. Good night Hinata." Sakura replied, completely in a daze that her team-mate had been chosen as a Hokage candidate. That was even more impressive considering he was only sixteen.

The two waved and parted company. Hinata returned inside as Sakura left for the Hokage tower. Hinata felt a little uneasy about how Sakura had spoken about her feelings towards Sasuke, yet she remained adamant that Sakura would not betray Konoha for him.

It had gotten pretty late, and Hinata didn't really want to walk all the way back to the Hyuga compound, when there was a Naruto scented double bed only ten feet away. It was too tempting for her to just leave such an inviting smell. She walked over to his bedroom, glancing down at where she had been rudely interrupted by Neji. The moment in her mind passed as she vividly remembered everything that had happened. The thought was beginning to turn her on, so she quickly dismissed the thoughts from her mind.

She jumped onto the bed, causing a note to leap in the air as she landed. It was addressed to her.

_Dear Hinata-hime,_

_If you're reading this, then you decided to sleep for the night. If you get cold then the extra blankets are in the bed side cabinet, bottom drawer. _

_Sweet dreams, my love. _

_I hope that I see your beautiful face soon._

_Good night Hinata-hime_

_With all my heart,_

_Naruto_

She laid her head back down onto the pillow after she read it. Her mind was at ease as she smiled happily, reading over the note again and again.

"I love you too Naruto-kun." The words escaped her mouth as she fell into sleep.

* * *

On the border of Tetsu no Kuni a wooden hut was quickly being covered in a thick layer of snow. The extremes of weather between the two borders were unbelievable. If you travelled thirty minutes east, it would be warm, a clear night sky, with hundreds of stars glistening in the black abyss. But here, the visibility was almost zero. You could easily get lost in it, and probably would end up dying due to the wickedly cold temperature.

Inside the hut was a different story. A blazing fire kept the inhabitants warm. Although it looked like a glamorous building on the outside, it was extremely basic on the inside. There was almost no furniture, just a wooden floor with a number of beds, with a fire. The group sat quietly, most were asleep, saver one cobalt eyed teen. He lay still, wondering how his beloved village and his beautiful girl were fairing without them.

He was tiring, his eyes were slowly shutting. He suddenly caught a gust of wind. It sounded like it was speaking to him. It sounded like it said _"I love you."_ He was too tired to understand it, and simply replied back as if someone could hear him.

"I love you too...Hinata-hime." His whisper carried in the wind as his eyes shut for the last time on this day.

* * *

Sakura hated going into the Hokage tower. It was a dislike that she had only recently come across. Every time she set foot inside the building, it made her think about her Sannin sensei. It was becoming a desperate time. Anyone with a basic knowledge of medicine knew that the longer a person remained in a coma, the less likely they were to come out of it. For the brief moment as she gazed upon a picture of Tsunade, hung up on the wall outside of her office, she had completely forgotten why she was there. However, that didn't last very long.

*Knock* *knock*

"Come in." A bored sounding voice replied to her plea for entry.

As she opened the double doors, she was surprised to see two fully equipped ANBU stood in front of her. They appeared to be being briefed on a mission.

"I'm sorry Nara-sama. I'll come back at a more appropriate time." Sakura spoke as she eyed up the two ANBU. One appeared to be very familiar, although their face was hidden under their mask.

"It's okay Sakura-san, we were just leaving." The other ANBU replied hotly. She too seemed familiar, but she let it slide and waited for them to leave before addressing the extremely fed up looking man sat behind the desk.

"I'm going to assume you are here to present your findings."

"Hai." She replied quietly, pulling out a scroll from her pouch and placing it on the desk in front of him. The man took a short while to read over the scroll before he spoke again.

"I can understand why you're upset Sakura. But I'm afraid this matter will have to wait until Hokage-sama returns. I'm sure he will have a say on this information. Now, if you don't mind, I really need to sleep." The man said tiredly as he almost shooed her out of the office. She wasn't too bothered. Frankly she just wanted to go curl up into a ball and cry herself to sleep. She left without a word, closing the doors behind her.

"_I wonder what Kakashi will make of this?" _Shikaku thought to himself as he pulled out a bottle of Sake from Tsunade's secret stash. It didn't take long for him to pass out after that.

* * *

"Ah, good afternoon Kazekage-dono. We have been expecting your return." Mifune stated as he walked towards the six-man group that was coming up on the entrance to the meeting hall.

"Good day to you Mifune. May I introduce the newly appointed Hokage, Hatake Kakashi." Gaara turned slightly, signalling towards the man stood behind him, sporting the Hokage robes.

"Greetings. It sure is a beautiful village that you have here. It is a shame about the freezing conditions though." Kakashi laughed slightly as he shook the man's hand, before Mifune guided them into the warmth.

"Indeed. We have an almost annual winter. It doesn't get much warmer than this I'm afraid. I hope you don't mind, but we are hoping to get started straight away. The Tsuchikage and Raikage are beginning to grow restless." The elderly man appeared to ask, yet he spoke in a way which almost gave Kakashi and Gaara no way to deny his request. The pair both nodded and followed him into the summit room.

Yamato and Naruto tried to follow, but they were stopped by two armoured figures, holding enormous swords. They stood for a brief moment until they heard Kankuro calling them over from a flight of stairs further down the corridor. The pair took off after them, eventually arriving at a balcony, filled with Samurai and bodyguards. They could clearly see what was going on down below. It was an amazing sight to most. It had been twenty years since the last time all five Kages were placed in the same room.

"It's about damn time Konoha got their act together. Three day's we have been waiting for a representative from your pitiful village." Venom soaked every word that the Tsuchikage spat out at Kakashi as he took his seat, placing his hat in front of him like the other Kages.

"I'm terribly sorry that the destruction of our village, as well as the loss of two Hokage's has caused you to wait around in luxury for a few days, Tsuchikage." Kakashi's monotone sarcasm tickled the sides of the Mizukage, who let out a slight giggle after he spoke.

"Hatake Kakashi, the infamous 'Copy-cat' ninja. From your danger rating in the Bingo book, I would like to assume that Konoha have made a valiant choice in making you the Rokudaime." The Mizukage appeared to look him up and down as she spoke. "I must thank you for disposing of that vermin Momochi Zabuza. I hear that was your handy work." It seemed she had taken a liking to him. After all, he was a well desired man in Konoha.

"Sadly yes, I played a big part in his demise. He turned up during my first C rank mission with my Genin squad a few years ago. I am glad you hold no grudge against me."

"That demon deserved everything he got." She spat back at him. Clearly she was not a fan of the killing machine that was Momochi Zabuza.

"Enough of the pleasantries, we need to get down to business." Mifune butted in.

"Where do you want to begin?" Kakashi replied coolly.

"How about with whether we can trust what 'Uchiha Madara' spouted from that very seat, in the previous meeting." The Raikage was still clearly upset about what he had been told about his brother.

"Well yes, Konoha was destroyed by the supposed leader of Akatsuki, _not _Uchiha Madara, but a man who called himself Pain." Kakashi began unnervingly. That caught the attention of everyone in the room, aside from Gaara of course who had seen the semi-constructed village.

"Konoha must be weak if they were wiped out by one man." Tsuchikage felt the need to dig the knife in further, but Kakashi remained calm and didn't rise to his belittling nature.

"Indeed I would say that at the time we were. Even I was killed during the attack. The village was completely destroyed and more than half of our army was wiped out. However, we were saved by one boy. What an entire army couldn't do, one of my beloved Genin students could. And it wasn't just _one _man, it was _six _men controlled by someone who possessed the fabled Rinnegan of the 'sage of the six paths'. "

That statement caught everyone's attention. They were all thinking it, but no one said anything. How could he have died if he was sat in that very chair? His statement brought so many questions to the floor. How could a Genin be victorious against such a foe? How is it possible for someone to posses the Rinnegan? How are they able to function without half of their army?

"Impossible, a single _Genin _surely couldn't defeat such a powerful opponent." The Raikage was struck by the statement. It just didn't make sense.

"Naruto?" Gaara asked quietly.

"Who else?" Kakashi replied with a smile.

"The Jinchuriki? He is that strong?" Mifune added to the conversation, clearly in awe of such a declaration.

"Only two people have ever defeated me in combat. One was an Akatsuki member by the name of Deidara, the man who captured me when my Biju was taken from me. The other was Uzumaki Naruto. He is the student of both, Hatake Kakashi, and Jiraiya, the legendary Sannin." Gaara looked on at Kakashi, who just gave him that endearing look he provides when he is thankful.

"Do not be fooled just because of his rank. Although he is only to be considered a Genin, he is more powerful than Jiraiya-sama ever was. And that is without the use of the Kyubi." Naruto heard the words echo around the room. He had the defence of two Kages in his corner. His face lit up as they spoke about him with such respect.

"Did you honestly defeat such a foe, Naruto-kun?" Temari asked with a blushing face. Although she was taken, she began to get flustered as she thought about him being so strong.

"Is that so hard to believe?" A shy laugh escaped his mouth as he scratched his head in embarrassment.

"So, you are this 'Uzumaki Naruto' they are talking about?" an intimidating man with an eye-patch threw the words at the teen, catching him off guard slightly.

"What's it to you?" Naruto snarled slightly in reply.

"You had a hand in the death of Zabuza-san, did you not?"

"I did. He died bravely, trying to defend a precious person from a mob of gangsters." Naruto retorted as he looked back over the balcony, shunning the man's existence.

"He was a dear friend of mine. I feel the need to exact vengeance for your part in his death." Ao growled loudly as he appeared to un-sheath his sword. In an instant, he could feel a kunai pressed against his throat. The goofy looking teen that was stood in front of him, now stood directly behind him, pressing the cold piece of iron against his throat.

"Remove your hand from your weapon and stand down. I do not wish to kill you, so do as I say." Naruto stated coldly. The man replied by pulling his hand away from his sword. Everyone else on the balcony had been gripped by the boy's inhuman speed. It seemed like he had disappeared and reappeared in a flash.

"Are you going to kill me, demon?" Ao goaded as he smiled a little. "You don't intimidate me boy."

"No, I am going to remove my kunai and leave you alone. I can't afford an incident that would hinder this treaty. Everyone in this room, everyone in every village represented here needs this summit to go off without a hitch." Naruto had cooled down dramatically, and did as he said. Removing his kunai and walking back over to where he was stood.

One of the Samurai looked at him, but he quickly dismissed any thoughts he had when he saw the teen simply shoot out a wave of killer intent as he walked back to where he was stood previously. Ao surprisingly walked away, as Naruto's words drilled into everyone close enough to hear them. It had seemed to have eluded everyone how important this meeting actually was. After all, if there were to be a Fourth Ninja War, something as simple as a vengeful lunge of a sword could spark it. Everyone stared at the boy, as he dismissed all of them from his thoughts. All Naruto cared about, was what was going on down below.

"And what of Danzo?" Mizukage inputted.

"We are unsure as to who did it, but we can conclude that he is dead. Although no body has been found, we are sure that he is dead. Kazekage-dono retrieved a number of corpses, believed to have been Danzo's elite guard. Autopsies will be occurring as we speak to ascertain how they died." Kakashi replied to the question evenly. He knew that any sign of emotion in these proceedings could be used against him.

"So as of yet, we cannot be certain the Uchiha Sasuke was involved?" Raikage added, clearly bitter about it all.

"No, I'm afraid not. I assume the squad you sent to Konoha are still looking for him?" Raikage nodded in reply. His body language seemed off. Maybe he was coming to terms with the capture of his brother. Or maybe something else was gripping his attention.

"That is most unfortunate. However, he is a missing Nin of Konoha, yet he is allowed to run loose. This is totally unacceptable." The decrepit looking man in the Tsuchikage robes continued his verbal attack on Konoha's representative.

"I agree, but I can assure you that we have not just left him alone. Every time we got close enough to him, he eluded capture. You must understand that after his allegiance with Orochimaru, he appears to have walked straight into the lair of Akatsuki. Both parties have been extremely difficult to find." Kakashi was giving nothing away that he didn't have to.

"And what can you tell us of that retched organisation?" the woman around the table added.

"Jiraiya-sama spent a number of years tracking down information on the organisation. His research has led us to believe that only four of the original members remain, one of which declared to Naruto that she had left the ranks." Kakashi replied as he sipped on some tea. The mug hid his face as he drank, but when he removed it his mask was already fixed back into place.

"Can she be trusted?" Mifune seemed concerned about such a declaration.

"I do not know, but according to Naruto once he had defeated Pain, she had no reason to remain in the organisation."

"And what of the other three members? What information can you provide for us?" Mifune replied. He wanted all the information he could from the well of knowledge that was Hatake Kakashi.

"First, we have the man behind the orange mask, a man who claims to be Uchiha Madara. Second, we have Hoshikage Kisame, Ex-member of the seven ninja swordsmen of the mist, and Ex-partner to the recently deceased Uchiha Itachi. I'm sure you already knew that, right Mizukage?" Kakashi smiled at her before continuing. "The third member is a slight uncertainty. Reports show that he is half-human, half-plant. No name has been given for this member. If you then add in the reports provided to me by the group of Kumo Nin sent to Konoha, Sasuke is part of a four-man cell that wore the robes of Akatsuki."

"Seven? We are having a meeting this important for _seven _people? This is ridiculous." Tsuchikage refused to calm down as he berated the rest of the group.

"It would appear so, yes. These seven people, as well as the large number of members that have been taken out, managed to capture eight of the nine Biju's, only one remains. It would appear that our priority here is to protect the remaining Biju at all costs. Who knows what will happen if Akatsuki capture him." Gaara came back into the conversation after a long while. He had felt the need to hear all the information before adding his thoughts.

"I know." A voice spoke from behind Mifune. "Hello." The man walked out from the shadows and waved at the group.

Before he could get any closer, he was surrounded by an assortment of knives, swords and jutsu's. Both of the Mizukage's bodyguards had their swords pressed into the man's back. A puppet was inches away from his face, with a poisoned dagger almost touching his mask. An enormous looking child towered over him, ready to pounce, and a scruffy haired blond, had chakra formed into his hand. The rotating ball of swirling blue energy was that close to his chest that it was tearing his Akatsuki robes slightly.

"Now now Naruto-kun, you know too well that physical attacks don't work on me." The figure laughed as he phased through the helpless teen, walking towards the table.

"Bastard! What have you done to Sasuke?" The teen was angry. His eyes were beginning to smoulder as they progressively changed from blue to red.

"Nothing. I merely showed him the truth behind his brother's actions. After that, he has chosen his path accordingly." Madara sighed after he spoke, looking around at the Kages before drawing his single eye upon the man sat behind the Hokage's hat. "Hatake Kakashi, a bold choice. One of these days I will reclaim that eye from you, I have already taken Danzo's." The masked figure laughed slightly as he placed his hand on the table, creating a summon without any seals.

The group just looked on at the form that had been summoned. A bloodied body. It lay there, void of life as Kakashi quickly realised who the deformed figure was.

"Danzo..." Kakashi muttered under his breath in disbelief.

"Indeed. I no longer have any need for the body. He's all yours. As for you Raikage, I will return your brother when I've finished with him. But that is not why I'm here. I'm here...to declare war." The last sentence struck fear into the hearts of every person in the room.

"War?" Tsuchikage almost mimed as he spoke.

"Either hand over the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi now, or I will take him by force and destroy all of your pitiful villages with my true power."

"You are not taking Naruto. Leave now before I kill you." Kakashi was stood, with his scythe like Mangekyo on show to all.

"Don't even bother Kakashi; your Sharingan will not work on m..." Before he could warn off the silver haired Kage, he felt something was terribly wrong.

"Sabaku Sōsō!" Sand encased the man suddenly, before it appeared to blast out in every direction. No blood could be seen mixed into the sand as it fell to the floor. No remnants of a body could be found where the man had been stood.

"Touchy aren't we Gaara. You cannot defeat me. Hand him over or I _will _destroy you, all of you." By now, the bodyguards had appeared to take a stance in front of their respective Kage. They stood still, weapons at the ready in defence from any attack he presented. "I will take your defiance as a declination of my offer."

Everyone waited for him to make his move. He stared at them with his single eye in view, his Sharingan swirling as he gazed. No one could have anticipated what happened next.

As if in slow motion, the Akatsuki leader was thrown across the room, crashing into a wall on the other side. The impact was fierce enough that it caused the wall to crumble, presenting the harshness of the weather conditions outside. A gust of cold air wisped around the room, quickly covering the floor in snow as the group turned in unison to where the man had been stood.

What took his place was a boy...no, a man. His blond locks moved freely in the wind as his glowing yellow eyes pierced everyone who gazed into them. His white cloak fluttered behind him as he looked on at the crumpled heap sprawled out on the floor.

"Amazing..." The female Kage let out as many in the crowd simply nodded in awe of such power. The more they looked, the more their eyes deceived them. It was if they were looking at someone completely different to whom they knew it was. Not a boy, but a man. Not a Genin, but a late Hokage. The group was distracted as they heard something coming from beneath the rubble. It was muffled at first, but then they realised it was a spine tingling laugh. The man picked himself up and brushed off the debris, glancing back at his foe.

"Impressive. But it is to be expected. Your father was the last person who managed to connect a blow on me. It is only fitting that his Namikaze blood spurs you on to grow strong enough to defeat me. Farewell Naruto-kun, the next time we meet, I _will _have what I desire." The man appeared to dissipate into a vortex. As he began to disappear into the void of space and time, his last words rung out for all to hear.

"The Fourth Great Ninja War...begins." With that he was gone, leaving the crowd to mull over what had just happened. A lengthy silence followed as everything was absorbed like a sponge.

"N-Namikaze? Y-you are the son of Konoha's 'Yellow flash'?" The Tsuchikage, for the first time in proceedings, was struck for words. His anger had ceased to be. Now all he could do was stammer the words from his gobsmacked mouth.

The grin on the boys face spoke all the words that anyone could have needed for an answer. He looked on at the mass of awe struck faces as his eyes reverted back to their natural blue colour. "I'm sorry about the wall Mifune-san." He said as he walked back over to stand behind Kakashi.

"I-it's n-not a problem, Naruto-san." He stuttered in reply.

"Allow me to help out." Yamato spoke up from the back of the group, shooting out wood from his hand. It didn't take long for the wood to cover the hole, stopping the massive cold front from entering the room.

"Your father was a strong warrior, possibly the strongest this world has ever seen. He was the sole reason that Konoha won the Third Great Ninja War. I am honoured to have his descendant in my presence." The Tsuchikage spoke in wonder of the child. Many had expected his reaction to have been very different. It was true that Minato's success in destroying the Kannabi Bridge almost certainly turned the tide of the war in Konoha's favour, away from Iwa. But, in the process he killed over five hundred Iwa Nins.

"T-thank you Tsuchikage-sama." Naruto replied in amazement. Even Gaara showed shock on his face at the old man's change in tone.

"I think that now we are ready to form an alliance, do we all agree?" The old man asked the group. He had taken a complete U-turn on how he had been for the previous three days. The Kages returned to their seats, but their bodyguards remained behind them, just in case the masked man returned.

They looked over the agreement for a long time after that, finalising everything in a way that every party involved could agree. Even Mifune offered the support of the Samurai. After seeing Madara's ability to control space time, everyone felt on edge. The more support the better in many of their eyes. Emergency aid was to be provided to Konoha to help them rebuild more quickly. Trade routes were opened between each village, and many of the tariffs were raised on a short term basis. The five Kages couldn't decide on electing a supreme commander of all forces, which at the time was an issue. Yet, they managed to agree to everything else. All that remained now was to decide on the fate of Naruto.

"Naruto-san clearly has the power's equal to that of everyone sat at this table. I say that we use him in the upcoming battle." The Raikage was adamant this was the right action.

"It is true that he has obscene levels of power, but he is also Akatsuki's main target. If we were to use him on the frontlines, and he is captured, the war is effectively over." Gaara added his thoughts to the discussion. He seemed to have the support of the Mizukage and Hokage. Although Kakashi wanted to have belief in the power of his student, he knew that Gaara was right.

"Both sides have their merits. It is important to keep him safe from harm, but it is also a significant loss to our strength if we are to not use him. What do you think Naruto-san?" Mifune acted as the intermediary, trying not to sway anyone in either direction. The young Sage didn't expect to be asked for input in the talks.

"I have my own idea, kind of a collaboration of the two thoughts." Naruto replied to the group. He seemed to be in deep thought as he spoke, rubbing his chin constantly.

"Go on."

"Gaara is correct. If I get captured, that is it. Whatever Madara has planned will come to fruition and this war will be over. I feel that it would be most effective if I am to be used as a back-up force, hidden from the enemy until times are tough enough for my power to be utilised. I already have a place where I can hide indefinitely, without being discovered. If I am needed, I can be summoned to battle anytime. I hate to hide away, but I have faith in the power of this alliance, that it is strong enough without me." Naruto gave a content smile as he finished his small speech. He hated to hide from a fight, but he knew that he was the only thing stopping Madara from victory.

"Very astute Naruto, I think that could just work. Are we all in agreement with this plan of action?" Kakashi asked his fellow Kages.

"Hai." They appeared to say in unison. Raikage and Tsuchikage appeared to be a bit apprehensive at first, but they came around eventually.

"Very well, that concludes this Kage Summit. Welcome to the first Ninja Alliance. It is quite late so you are all welcome to stay until the morning." Mifune spoke proudly as he stood up, bowed and left the room followed by an entourage of Samurai. The rest appeared to stay in their positions for a brief moment, before systematically leaving the room. Despite the interruption of Madara, the Summit had gone off without a hitch. It was a proud day to be a shinobi.

* * *

The room was in total darkness. The curtains kept out any moonlight, and all the lights had been switched off. A crackle lightening lit up the room for a brief second, illuminating the horrors that had gone in there. A dripping sound was all that could be heard, over and over.

*Drip* *drip* *drip*

Another bout of lightning torched the night's sky, showing a red liquid slowly oozing off the tip of a sword, into a pool of blood covering a wooden floor. Two people were in the room. The first, an elderly man, lay peaceful in his bed. His eyes were closed and his face was at rest. The second figure, a man with eyes like a never ending abyss of darkness, stood above him, his sword held at his side, as the blood ran off it. The pool of blood underneath the man's bed spread out rapidly, soaking the assassin's feet as he grinned happily.

This had not been his first stop either. In the adjoining room, an elderly woman appeared to have suffered the same fate. The man withdrew his sword, cleaning the blood from the blade with the bed sheets as he turned to the door. He took one look back at the sight, before opening the door, leaving the scene coolly. His body disappeared into a swirl of leaves as he found himself walking down a familiar street, on the way towards the main gates of Konoha.

He walked slowly down the concrete path, looking around at the tree's blowing in the wind as the rain pelted him. It took him a while, but he eventually remembered the significance of the scenery as he spotted a soaking wet girl sat on a bench, with her head in her hands. Her hair was plastered to her face as the heavy rain masked her tears of sadness.

It had seemed as if she had been sitting there all day. She hadn't even noticed it had begun to rain. The soaked wet girl was in a world completely on her own. She found it fitting to come and sit on the bench she had awoken on, the morning after her beloved Sasuke-kun had left her, on a path of power and hatred. She had been relieving the moments ever since she had found out that he had killed Danzo, and an entire platoon of Konoha Shinobi.

She heard water splashing as footsteps grew closer. She didn't care; she let them pass without even an inch of acknowledgement. They reached their loudest point as they walked past her. She heard the pattern slow, as if the person was about to talk to her. The girl lifted her head to see a red cloud almost directly in front of her face. Her body fell into a sudden paralysis, only her eyes seemed to move as they looked further up the figure, towards their face.

"Hello Sakura." A deep voice calmly pushed out the words as she looked directly into his blackened eyes.

"Sa-Sa-Sasuke-kun?" She struggled to speak, her whole body was stiff. It was like she had seen a ghost and her nervous system had completely shut down. "W-what...d-doing...here..." was about all he could understand from the blithering words that she forced out.

"Taking another step towards avenging my brother." He replied dryly. He looked down on her saddened face. "Who died?" He chuckled slightly as he looked at her reaction. She truly didn't know what to say to him. She looked down to his feet; she couldn't bear to look into his dead eyes any longer.

"Why Sasuke-kun, why are you doing this?" Sakura cried out at her old team-mate, causing him to grab her by the neck, lifting her off her feet as he forced her to stare into his eyes.

"BECAUSE THOSE BASTARDS ORDERED ITACHI TO KILL MY ENTIRE CLAN! I WANT VENGENCE AND I'M ONE STEP AWAY FROM GETTING IT!" He screamed at her. When he stopped speaking the emergency alarm was ringing out throughout the village.

"What did you do Sasuke-kun?" As shocked as she was by his outburst, she had begun to draw on the courage to speak to him.

"I killed those old farts that you call the council. Along with that bastard Danzo, I have only one more step to take until I achieve my goal." He smiled at her as he began to choke the life out of her. As much as she tried to pry his arm away, she couldn't loosen his grip.

"You can die by my hand now, or you can come with me. That is, if you have the guts to help me destroy Konoha once and for all." An infectiously evil laugh escaped his mouth, it sounded like a screaming banshee as he threw her to the ground. The hysterics was just too much to handle. It felt like his sides were splitting.

Sakura gasped for air as she knelt on the wet concrete. Her throat was bruised but she was still conscious.

"Well...what is your answer, Sakura-chan?" She looked up to see him stood over her. His Chidori was shrieking as the current jumped from his palm. She could see now that there was nothing left of the boy that she had fallen for. She had resigned herself to her fate. Here, at this very point she had lost him the first time, her fire was about to be extinguished, by the one she loved.

"Konoha Senpu!"

* * *

Thanks for all the reviews on the previous chapters guys. I'm extremely happy to have reached 50 so soon. Thank you all.

I hope this extended chapter will satisfy everyone for a while. You might have to wait for the next one, my assignments have started flying in now.

And I'm sorry if you're starting to get annoyed with me, but I really love to leave a chapter on a cliff hanger. :)

Please take the time to review, I take time to reply to all reviews good or bad.


	7. Chapter 7 Severed Ties

Disclaimer: Yeah, you've all got the gist of it now...I am not Kishimoto, therefore I don't own Naruto.

***Chapter 7 - Severed Ties***

* * *

Recap...

"_You can die by my hand now, or you can come with me. That is, if you have the guts to help me destroy Konoha once and for all." An infectiously evil laugh escaped his mouth, it sounded like a screaming banshee as he threw her to the ground. The hysterics was just too much to handle. It felt like his sides were splitting. _

_Sakura gasped for air as she knelt on the wet concrete. Her throat was bruised but she was still conscious._

"_Well...what is your answer, Sakura-chan?" She looked up to see him stood over her. His Chidori was shrieking as the current jumped from his palm. She could see now that there was nothing left of the boy that she had fallen for. She had resigned herself to her fate. Here, at this very point she had lost him the first time, her fire was about to be extinguished, by the one she loved._

"_Konoha Senpu!" _

_

* * *

_

The scream was followed by a green blur, shooting a spinning kick into the chest of the dark-haired Uchiha, forcing him backwards. Even the chakra that Sasuke had placed in his feet didn't stop the kick from uprooting his stance, tearing up the ground as he moved.

"L-Lee-kun?" Sakura stuttered quietly in disbelief. She was still in a state of shock. He had just saved her from certain death.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan; I will protect you until the day I die." Sakura's mind suddenly transported her back to when she was twelve. Those words, she had heard them before...

"_Let's go out together! I'll protect you until the day I die!" _Sakura looked upon the scene in her mind. Those words were the first thing he had ever said to her, and she just batted them away like he was another Naruto.

She looked her saviour up and down; he was noticeably different to that boy. He wasn't stood in that ridiculous nice guy pose, but was protecting her, arms spread as wide as they could, waiting to defend her with every ounce of his being. He still wore that ghastly green outfit, but the standard Chuunin combat vest made him look significantly more bearable.

"You are pitiful. Still following her around like a lost puppy are we, Rock Lee?" Sasuke was smiling menacingly, his Sharingan activated as he stared down the Konoha Chuunin. "I've been looking forward to a rematch with you. This time I am prepared for your speed." He smirked before unsheathing Kusanagi.

"It's a good job you're facing me Sasuke...If it had been Naruto-kun you would already be dead for what you did to Sakura-chan." With those words, Sasuke was riled up even more. But before he could pounce, Lee had already disappeared and landed a forceful kick on the Akatsuki member. Unfortunately for Lee, Sasuke was already prepared.

The Sharingan wielder had sliced at the area he suspected Lee was going to reappear in, cutting into his jacket as Lee barely escaped the chakra charged blade. This caused his kick to fall short as he retreated back to his starting position, causing Sasuke to chuckle slightly.

"You are weak. You show no hatred; only with hatred can you grow stronger. Love is a wasteful emotion. But you got something right. You _will _protect her until you die, then I'll kill her too." Sasuke laughed sinisterly at his own remark, before he was cut off by a violent wave of power that disturbed the air. That last remark got to Lee more than all the insults he flurried at the bushy browed teen.

"Seimon! Open!" A flash of green light encompassed Lee's body as he opened the third gate. Sakura began to grow fearful of the outcome for Lee, she remembered what happened to him the last time he opened this gate during the Gaara fight. His skin began to change colour as veins jutted out all over his face.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh... Shōmon! Open!" The ground began to crack beneath him as he screamed in agony at the pain of inducing more chakra into his system. With the Pain Gate open, Lee's power was visibly growing with every second. "MORE!" He screamed as he forced open the next gate. The power escaping his body engulfed the surrounding area. Sasuke began to grow interested with his opponent.

"You can open five of the celestial gates, that's quite impressive, but you still won't defeat me."

"**Do not underestimate me you bastard! This will be the last time you hurt Sakura-chan!" **His voice lowered significantly after the Limit Gate opened. He could feel the protests beginning to come from the kunoichi knelt behind him, but he simply turned slightly so that he could look at her.

"Lee-kun, don't open any more. Don't you dare die f..." her words were cut off by the fire in his eyes when he looked at her.

"**I will protect you, you are all that matters Sakura-chan." **He gave a wry smile as he turned back to his prey. The ground between the two fighters was torn apart as Lee rushed on towards his deadly opponent.

"Shit..." Sasuke had no time to react. Even his Mangekyo couldn't read Lee's movements as he sped towards him at an insane velocity. The first kick sent him flying, but it was followed by kick after kick. Soon the pair were over fifty metres in the air before Lee decided to end it.

"**Ura Renge!" **It took less than a second after the impact of the Reverse Lotus for Sasuke to crash into the ground. Dust and pieces of debris were thrown into the atmosphere as Lee collapsed to one knee besides Sakura. He panted heavily as he looked on, anxiously waiting for the dust to settle.

"Lee!" Sakura screamed as she looked at the damage on his body. His muscles had begun to tear apart. She instantly began to try and heal him, with a blue glow of chakra on her palms. She didn't care about what had happened to Sasuke, she just wanted to help the bushy browed teen knelt before her.

Lee's eyes shot open as the dust settled, revealing an enormous crater with a dark figure stood waiting silently, with his arms folded.

"Is that all you've got?" The bored sounding teen mocked before letting out a short laugh. His face suddenly got serious as he dropped his right arm, charging chakra into his palm. Sakura heard the words, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. Sakura couldn't move as she heard his footsteps rapidly close in behind her.

"Chidori!" The scream of the Jutsu was followed by the sound of its impact on human flesh. Silence ensued, only being broken by the sound of rain pelting down onto the concrete.

"It seems you still have some life in you yet. But I'm afraid your heroic actions have only bought your pink haired bitch a few extra seconds to live." Sasuke smirked as he pulled his arm away from Lee's shoulder. He could feel the warm blood gushing onto his fingertips as he looked on at the damage he had caused. The Chuunin had somehow managed to push Sakura out of the way, _and _deflect the Chidori away from any vital points.

"You're persistent I'll give you that." Sasuke raised his free hand and shot it out behind him. He made a sudden movement with his fingers, and his blade shot out off the ground, landing in his palm.

Lee was silent. He had nothing he could possibly say or do. He was out of chakra and the pain was unbearable, but at least he had kept his promise...he had protected her until the day he died.

Sasuke backed up slightly as he eyed up his target, holding the blade with both hands as he began to push it forwards with some force. It isn't a pleasant thing to hear, the sound of flesh being ripped apart by a sword, especially if it's the flesh of the person you love.

"SAKURA!" Lee roared as the kunoichi fell in front of him, the blade sticking straight through her abdomen. Sasuke was lying on the ground some fifty yards away. She had managed to get off an insanely powerful punch as she threw herself in front of the blade.

"W-why d-did you d-do...t-that Sa-Sa-Sakura-chan?" Lee cradled her in his only functioning arm. The tears streamed off his face onto hers as he looked down at her. Her pink kimono was quickly darkening as her blood seeped into the material around the point where the dull blade stuck into her.

"Because you...are...a...good person. Y-you shouldn't have to...die...for someone who never realised...who you were." Her sluggish and quiet words ended with a slight smile, as her emerald green eyes closed slowly, fully resting her body into his as she drifted off towards the light.

"Sa-Sa-ku-ra..." Lee could barely form words as the lump in his throat grew with each passing second. He had failed her; he wasn't strong enough to protect her. She was dead in his arms.

"How touching. I guess you finally got her in the end. Now you can join her." The snide remark from Sasuke angered Lee, but there was nothing her could do. He just cradled her back and forth as he stared down her murderer.

"Amater-arghh!" Sasuke began to scream as he quickly fell to the floor. Blood began to trickle down his face as he tried to cover the pain with his battered hands. He stood up again, after the pain had faded slightly, and looked around aimlessly. All he could make out was faint outlines for a brief while. He waited until he could see more clearly and charged.

"Juuken!" Sasuke was thrown back by the attack, tumbling violently until he landed face down in the crater he had made earlier. When he rose to his feet, he was both shocked and amused at what he saw.

"I was wondering when back-up would show up. Nice to see you all again." He smirked as he looked on at the faces of the people that stood between him and Lee.

"You bastard! You will pay for this!" Kiba yelled violently towards the assassin as he and Akamaru stood beside Neji, Chouji and Shino at the front of the pack. Tenten looked over Neji's shoulder as Kurenai looked over Kiba's. Ino and Hinata were stood around the bloodied bodies, checking for vitals. Since their arrival, Lee had lapsed into a state of unconsciousness.

"I would love to stay and chat, but I have completed my goal and..." Sasuke was cut off by a forceful axe kick to the back of the head. His body just dispersed into a flock of crows upon impact.

"That wasn't very polite now, was it, Gai-sensei?" Sasuke smirked as he stood in a tree above the fearsome looking Jounin. The killer intent coming from his body was like nothing any of the other shinobi had ever felt before. Even from the Kyubi. "Goodbye for now, but I assure you, the next time we meet, you will meet the same fate as that useless bitch over there." With that he disappeared into the darkness.

A number of ANBU appeared around Gai and with his signal, scattered in all directions looking for the missing-Nin. The group's attentions all turned to their fellow Nins that were lying in an entwined heap on the floor.

"Report!" The urgency in Gai's delivery shook Ino and Hinata slightly. Ino had received training from Tsunade, but was nowhere near the level that Sakura was at. Hinata had also received some field medic training and was busy looking over Lee, as Ino looked over Sakura.

"Lee-kun is unconscious. He appears to have lost a lot of blood from this attack to his shoulder. Also, I don't understand how, but it appears as if all of his muscles have torn." Hinata looked up from her patient as she spoke to Gai. The look in his eyes showed her that he knew how he had sustained such damage.

"He opened the Limit Gate and he still couldn't defeat Sasuke?" Gai muttered to himself but Hinata didn't ask him to speak up. She could only imagine what he was going through when he looked down at his carbon copy.

"Sakura is..." Ino began to tear up as she spoke. "She's barely breathing. Her heart-rate is dangerously low. We have to get her to the hospital immediately." She yelped at the group as she ordered Kiba to go ahead to warn Shizune at the hospital that they would need to be prepped for emergency surgery. Sakura had lost so much blood that it was unbelievable that she was still in the land of the living.

Chouji, Gai and Shino carefully picked up Sakura, wrapping some cloth around the sword to make sure it stayed still. If it moved it would most certainly kill her. Neji, Kurenai and Hinata picked up Lee and the group moved as quickly as they could towards the Hospital. Ino hovered between the two, checking their vitals thoroughly as the group walked.

Sasuke looked on from the shadows at the group as they scurried away in the direction of the hospital. He felt a great sadness as he watched them move. He really liked that sword...

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A large cloud of smoke plumed out from where he slammed his fist into the ground, which eventually lifted showing the sharp talons of an enormous hawk. He placed his hand on the bird's side, using it as a hoist as he pulled his body into a seating position on top of the large beast. "Return me to hideout at top speed. I need to get back immediately." Sasuke showed a clear authority over his summon, as it simply squawked in obedience to its master.

As the bird lifted off the ground, it presented the bodies of two ANBU members, which had been previously hidden behind the hawk's body. By the way their uniforms were singed, it was clear they had succumbed to a Raiton of Katon Jutsu. As the huge wings of the bird flapped, it cooked up a miniature tornado, kicking up dust as it took off into the night's sky.

* * *

*Knock* *Knock*

"Come in." A low voice bellowed in reply to the sound of someone at his door. The large wooden door creaked as it opened, revealing a cloaked boy with golden hair.

"I am sorry to disturb you Raikage-sama." Naruto appeared to be taken aback by the sight of the giant of a man, seemingly staring into the night's sky from his balcony.

"Is there something you wish to discuss with me Naruto-san?" He didn't turn around as he spoke, as he could tell from the voice who was addressing him.

"Um- I came here to apologise..." His voice trailed off slightly as he felt the presence of something he hadn't felt in a long time. Stupidity.

"You have nothing to apologise for." The man seemed confused by the boy's words. As he heard no noticeable reply he turned to look directly at the boy. He could see the anguish on the kids face as he tried to explain himself.

Naruto just looked at him for a short while before plucking up the courage to speak his mind.

"Sasuke was on my original Genin team after we left the academy. I failed in stopping him when he deserted the village, and have failed on a number of occasions to successfully retrieve him. If I hadn't of been so weak, he would not have become part of Akatsuki, and your brother may not have been captured." Naruto gasped for breath after he finished blurting out his thoughts. "Therefore, I am sorry." His face saddened as he apologised again to the Raikage. His head dropped as he fully expected a scalding, or worse.

"That is a bold thing to say to me. If you had been warned at all about me, you would know I am a very short tempered man." His voice boomed around the bare room as he looked down on the boy. Naruto shook slightly in fear, but that quickly subsided as he saw the man's face loosen up a bit. "But, I cannot accept your apology. You cannot dictate the actions of others. And even if you had of captured that Uchiha bastard, Bee would still have been targeted." The man cooled considerably as he finished speaking.

"I know..." Naruto sighed as he thought about his fate, to be hunted down like a wild animal by that wretched organisation.

"I can imagine the kind of life you have led, seeing firsthand how my brother was treated in his younger years. The life of a Jinchuriki is not for the faint hearted, but you are strong willed, a lot like Bee. His existence was shunned for a great deal of his younger years, but as he grew, more and more people began to acknowledge him as a person, rather than the demon that resided inside of him. You shouldn't blame yourself for something that isn't your fault kid; you've already been through enough hardships to be weighed down by something that you had no control in." The Raikage looked on at the boy's reaction as he realised that he was right on the money with his assumptions. He took another look at the boy before he turned back to the balcony. It was a cold night, but he wasn't fazed by it.

Naruto looked on at the man as he digested his words, and slowly walked over to where he was stood, resting his elbows on the wooden balcony, looking over the beautiful snow capped city. He was frozen solid, but it didn't take him long to become acclimatised. They stood there for a while before Naruto silently thanked the man for understanding him.

"Are you thinking about your brother?" Naruto asked quietly, hoping it wouldn't distress the elder figure.

"Yes, sadly I can't shake him from my mind. After that masked freak appeared and told us that Bee has been captured, I urged the Kazekage to provide all the information he could offer me concerning what would happen to him." Naruto flinched at that, remembering the sight of Deidara sitting casually on Gaara's dead body, after the Ichibi had been extracted.

"It should take roughly three days for him to be sealed, according to what he told me. And by the fact that _he_ has been popping up too regularly, I can only assume that they have yet to begin the process."

"That would be a good assumption. Also, by the fact that there are fewer members than when they sealed away the Ichibi, it will probably take a lot longer." Naruto added hoping that it would lift the man's hopes slightly. His brother was not dead yet.

"Indeed. About a day after the original meeting, the team I sent to Konoha reported in with the information that they had attained. After I heard what they had to offer, I sent a message to Kumo asking for a platoon of ANBU to aid them in tracking down the Akatsuki hideout we believe them to be stationed in. I will not let them have Bee without a fight." The anger was beginning to reappear in his words as he thought about what they could be doing to him.

"Please, allow me to assist you. I wish to help." Naruto left out the fact he wanted to try one more time to talk Sasuke into returning to Konoha. He didn't think the Raikage would be so receptive to such a request.

"Have you already forgotten what we discussed in the meeting? Your involvement in this would put a great risk on Akatsuki achieving their goal. Only Kumogakure will be involved in this operation, as the other nations still need time to fully mobilise their forces. You will be returning to Konoha as planned." He smiled slightly as he walked back into the room, signalling Naruto to close the doors to the balcony as he came in.

"Hai." Naruto replied to the Raikage's words, knowing too well that he was right. Hell, it had been Naruto's plan in the first place. How could he possibly forget? "Thank you, Raikage-sama. I hope you find Killer Bee. I will take my leave now." Naruto bowed slightly as he headed for the door. The Raikage nodded slightly as he watched the boy leave. When he was gone, the beast of a man slouched back into the couch, thinking about what he would do to that bastard Madara, if he could actually hit him that is.

* * *

"Report!" The acting Hokage shouted at one of his Chuunin messengers, who had come from the crime scene. Shikaku was clearly distressed. He wasn't anticipating hostile actions in the short period he was to be in charge.

"The village elders, Koharu and Homura have been assassinated." Before he could continue further, Shikaku blasted out a scream in disbelief. Their quarters were heavily guarded by ANBU. He just couldn't believe someone had managed to get close to them. The Chuunin quivered slightly at the rage coming from the usually subdued clan head, but held firm until he was asked to continue.

"A fight appears to have broken out between two Chuunin, Rock Lee, and Haruno Sakura, and a cloaked figure. Witness reports show that this man was Uchiha Sasuke. By his appearance in the village around the time of the assassinations, one can only assume that he is the culprit." The Chuunin waited for a brief moment as the cogs churned in Nara Shikaku's head. He was even more intelligent than his son, so he was able to assimilate new information a lot faster.

"Yes, that would be a correct assumption. Are there any squads out looking for him?" In return, the Chuunin nodded slowly.

"A number of ANBU were dispatched, but with our own sweeps, we have come across three dead. If this was the work of Uchiha Sasuke, he is far too dangerous to approach."

"Indeed. Send word out to recall all teams from the pursuit. It is far too much of a risk to have our men looking for him. How are the two Chuunin?" There was a distinct tinge of concern in his delivery. Although he usually spoke in a monotone way, he knew the two in question personally, as they were good friends of Shikamaru.

"It is not good Sir. Rock Lee is unconscious, and has lost a lot of blood. Haruno Sakura is in a much more severe condition. Shizune-sama is currently operating on her." The man paused briefly before continuing. "The prognosis does not look good."

Shikaku looked at the young man's face. The sadness said it all. Clearly, like many of the other Shinobi in the village, he had a soft spot for her. Probably because she had healed him from a life threatening wound he had received on a mission. The fact of the matter was that Haruno Sakura was almost at the level of Tsunade, when it came down to medical treatment. She had saved the lives of many of her peers over the past few years.

"I see..." The dark haired Jounin looked down to his desk as he repositioned his facade, before continuing. "Send for Team Kurenai and Hyuga Neji."

"I would Sir, but they are all at the hospital. They were amongst the group that found Sakura-san and Lee-san." He didn't mean it to sound like he was disobeying his direct order, but he wanted to make the point that they were possibly not the best people to send out on a mission right now.

"I understand. Very well, I will visit them myself. Make sure you send word for all ANBU teams to fall back from the search."

"Hai!" with that the man disappeared into a swirl of leaves, leaving the Nara clan head alone. He sat momentarily before he left the Hokage's office, on route towards the hospital.

* * *

The looks on the faces of those who waited restlessly in the hospital's visitor room were ones of anguish, fear, and hope. Kiba was gradually wearing down the carpet as he paced the length of the room. Kurenai and Hinata sat side-by-side, sharing the same uncomfortable look. The only one who appeared to look calm was the heavily shielded Aburame. His high collar, and dark shades hid the majority of his face. But underneath that facade, his body was shaking furiously. Even he had been riled by the actions of his former comrade. The group was silent. All they could do was sit and wait for news about Sakura's surgery.

Further down the corridor, Ino was slowly going over the final stages of Lee's treatment. Although he had sustained damage to his muscles, only time could heal that. Her main concern was the large wound on his shoulder. After twenty minutes of treatment, the bleeding had stopped and the wound had begun to close. Ino was so thankful that Tsunade had allowed her to train with Sakura. As the glow in her hands faded, her patient's eyes began to stir...

"Sa-Sakura-chan?" The words passed through Lee's lips with a clear tinge of pain. His body shuddered as he tried to pick himself up.

"Try not to move Lee; your body is too damaged. You used the celestial gates, remember?" Gai urged Lee to stop wrestling with his motionless body by placing his hand on his untainted shoulder.

"I...I...don't know...What h-happened?" Lee seemed confused as he looked at his surroundings. He couldn't decide if his eyes were betraying him, but he appeared to be in the hospital. He looked around at the semi-circle of faces that seemed to be peering down at him. Gai and Tenten showed relief in their subdued smiles at him. Neji looked concerned, but he remained silent. Ino was still working, dressing his wound as she could feel his eyes staring straight through the top of her skull.

"You fought Sasuke. Don't you remember Lee-kun?" Tenten really didn't like hearing that he couldn't remember how he had ended up like this.

"I did? I...Don't remember. Wait, Sakura...WHERE IS SHE?" His words could be heard throughout the hospital. After his sudden outburst, he began to writhe in agony, as each of his muscles felt like they set on fire simultaneously. The panicked green beast immediately looked towards his sensei. The look on his face said it all.

"S-she's having emergency surgery. I'm sorry Lee-kun, but we've just got to hope that Shizune-sama can help her." Ino hadn't been so sad since she found Shikamaru was seeing Temari. That had broken her heart, but she managed to get over it, eventually. This was something entirely new. Her best friend was laying near-death, at the hands of someone who she had cared for. She just didn't know how to feel.

"...I...I'm sorry..." Lee seemed so dejected. It hadn't been a nightmare; he truly had failed to protect her. He hadn't been strong enough.

"It's not your fault Lee. It's my fault for not getting their faster. I'm sorry my faithful student." The tears were flowing freely from the eyes of the elder beast of Konoha. He could see how Lee felt. It just made Gai feel even worse.

The room grew silent as the solemn look on their faces continued. Ino finished dressing Lee's wound in silence, and doped him up with some morphine for the pain. As the medication came into effect, Lee became more at ease. Unfortunately she couldn't provide any for the others, who were noticeably feeling similar dread to their peers. Now they knew that Lee was safe, they too were concentrating fully on Sakura.

"Can Lee be moved? I think he would like to be there when news about Sakura comes through." Neji asked Ino who replied with a nod, moving towards the corner of the room as she unfolded a wheelchair.

Gai and Neji slowly picked him up and plopped him into the wheeled machine as Lee spurted out some profanities. He was still under the initial effects of the drug, and his coherence had not returned to him yet. Tenten took responsibility of the wheel-chair, as she knew that Gai would try and beat his previous 'wheel-chair derby' time-trial. He was so predictable.

The group skulked through the halls of the hospital, attracting saddened stares from passing nurses and doctors. They walked in utter silence. Each one of them was thinking too much to converse as Neji opened the door to the visitor's room.

"Excellent. Now that you are here Neji, I can give you your mission." Neji was taken aback by the sudden call of his name, but he quickly realised where it had come from.

"Shikaku-sama?"

"You are to take control of Team Kurenai, and relay the following information to Hokage-sama." With that Shikaku pulled out a scroll containing the evening's events. "This information is classified, for the Hokage's eyes only. Is that understood?"

"Hai!" The order was replied in unison by Neji, Hinata, and Shino.

"How the hell can you expect us to go on a mission now? We can't just leave Sakura like that!" The emotionally wound-up Inuzuka blasted in Shikaku's direction.

"Because you are a Shinobi of Konoha. Follow Shikaku-sama's orders or I'll throw you in jail myself for insubordination." Kurenai applied a firm hand to her student. She hated how impulsive Inuzuka's were.

"But..." Kiba's remonstration was cut off by Kurenai.

"Don't worry about Sakura. We will be here when she wakes up. Now hurry up and gather your supplies. I assume this mission is effective immediately?"

"Indeed. And please be as fast as possible. This situation is far too troublesome for me to handle on my own. Hokage-sama needs to deal with this personally. And another thing, don't tell Naruto about Sakura's condition. We cannot afford an incident at such a time." Shikaku directed his last comment straight into the lavender eyes of the Hyuga princess. She nodded nervously as she knew it would be difficult to keep something from her love.

With that, the group quickly left the hospital, leaving Shikaku, Gai, Kurenai, a semi-conscious Lee, and a very tired looking Tenten.

"Why did you send Neji with them instead of me?" Kurenai asked her direct superior.

"Isn't that obvious? I need all upper-Jounin to be in the village. We have no idea if this was just a warning for a larger invasion." Shikaku stated matter-of-factly. He just assumed that everyone was as intelligent as he was.

Kurenai understood what he was saying, as she sat back into her chair and let out a disappointed sigh. Gai seemed to copy her actions as he sat in the free chair next to where Lee's wheel-chair was. By this point Tenten had fallen asleep across three adjoining chairs.

"I wonder what Kakashi will do when he opens that scroll..." Gai thought out-loud, attracting the gaze of the other Jounin.

"I'd be more worried about what Naruto will do. There is a good chance he will break inside if Sakura leaves him too." Kurenai replied to Gai's mutterings as she thought about what it would do to the two of them if they lost another member of their team.

"Why do you think I sent Hinata's team? I've heard two accounts where she has stopped him from going full Kyubi. She has even more control over him than Yamato does." Shikaku looked smugly at Kurenai's worried look.

"You are one sly, lazy bastard, Nara Shikaku. I bet the only reason you told her _not _to tell him, was because you knew that she wouldn't be able to keep something like that from him." Shikaku's smug face grew even more when Kurenai caught on to his true intentions. But he was right, if there was anyone who could keep Naruto calm...it was Hinata. With that, he signalled to the two, and left for home. It was far too early in the morning to be working any longer. It was nearly sun-rise for god's sake.

* * *

"Finally! We're out of that blizzard. I feel better already." Naruto joked as he expressed himself through a large grunt as he stretched.

They had left shortly after Naruto's discussion with the Raikage. Kakashi didn't want to delay any further. He made up some excuse that he needed to get back to do team rosters, but really he wanted to get back home, to that nice big warm _Hokage _bed that he fell in love with the only time he managed to sleep in it.

The trio were noticeably tired, yet they marched on, over the border, into the thick forests of Hi no Kuni. As Naruto had cheered as they crossed the border, they were away from the ghastly weather, and were now into a much warmer climate. No sooner had the group become acclimatised to the heat a lovely morning shower erupted from the heavens.

"You still feel better Naruto?" Yamato let out a half chuckle-half wicked stare as he spoke. He really did freak out the golden haired Shinobi.

"Seriously, you have to teach me that _death _stare for when I become a Jounin instructor, Yamato-taichou." Kakashi giggled like a little school girl at that one. He honestly couldn't tell if Naruto was being sincere when he addressed Yamato.

"I'm amazed you didn't ask Kakashi-senpai to teach you. After all, he's the one that showed me how to do it. Back in the old days..." Yamato got cut off by Kakashi just as he began to reminisce on their 'old times' back in ANBU.

"What do you mean Jounin instructor? You've got to become a _Chuunin _yet." Kakashi chuckled slightly. However, the comment didn't have the desired affect when Naruto began to sulk slightly. He had almost forgotten that he was still considered to be the only remaining Genin from the rookie eleven. Hell, Konohamaru was closer to becoming a Chuunin than he was. At least he had a team to take the exam with...

"How am I going to progress in the ranks if I'm not part of a three man cell? That's the only way you can take the Chuunin exam." His delivery was dejected. It appeared to Kakashi that Naruto had just given up on becoming a Chuunin, or even a Jounin. Though, to be fair, he was a Sage, second only to maybe his father.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You are a special circumstance. Although you can't technically become a Chuunin, or Jounin, you are the disciple of one of the Legendary Sannin. It doesn't matter if you are only a _Genin; _the respect you receive from your peers surpasses that of any Jounin in this village. You may yet be the first person to go from _Genin _to _Hokage._" Kakashi's visible eye curved in its usual way, telling Naruto that he was smiling. Depending on how long Kakashi remained in the position, it was very possible that Naruto would take over the mantle.

"Thanks Kakashi-sensei." Naruto, as always, was humbled by his sensei's praise.

"I'm picking up movement at two O'clock. Five man cell and they're closing in...fast!" This put the trio on alert, each grabbing their respective weapons as they stopped on a branch.

Naruto was the furthest forward, with Kakashi in the middle, and Yamato at the rear. Brief moments past before Naruto returned his kunai to his pouch, easing the tension between the two behind him.

"Make that a _four _man, _one _dog, cell." Naruto turned to flaunt off his yellow eyes. Sage mode was really handy when it came to reading peoples chakra, and one chakra in particular stuck in his mind clear as day.

The cell came into view, but before they could set down on the opposite branch, Naruto had already jumped forwards, landing in the exact spot he knew his beautiful princess was going to land in. It caught her by surprise when she landed in his arms, but she quickly regained composure from her instant lust for him. Her subdued greeting to Naruto was followed by a saddened looking Kiba, and a disturbed looking Neji. He could never tell what Shino looked like.

"What's up, Hina-hime?" Naruto suddenly got serious when she looked away from him. She really couldn't look into those piercing blue eyes; otherwise she would spill everything to him.

Neji jumped next to Kakashi and pulled a sealed scroll from his backpack, shortly before handing it directly to the Hokage.

"This can't be good." Kakashi sighed as he 'released' the seal on the scroll, allowing it to unravel. "Oh...God..." uncertainty flooded his single eye as he read the document. He was too gobsmacked to respond to it. After he read it over three times, because he just didn't believe it the first two, the paper disintegrated in his palm, as it became engulfed in flames.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's wrong?" By now Naruto had become agitated. It was one thing for Hinata to be acting how she was around him, but it was another for Kakashi to be speechless like that.

"We have to get back to the village immediately. Neji is your team ready to go, or do you need recovery time?" Kakashi quickly regained his composure and assertiveness, which he had appeared to find since becoming Hokage. He really had lost his lazy side.

Neji scanned his team's faces, looking for signs of fatigue, yet found none. "Hai, Hokage-sama." The seven person squad took off into the tree-line after Neji's comment.

"Will someone please tell me what the hell's going on?" The blond was starting to get pissed. It seemed like everyone knew what was going on apart from him.

"It's okay Hinata, you can tell him." Kakashi urged her to speak up. He had caught the little note on the end of the document, informing him that Shikaku had forbidden her to say anything to him. Of course, Kakashi knew what kind of guy the lazy Nara was.

"B-but...Shikaku-sama said..."

"Yes I know. He's just got a twisted sense of humour that's all." Kakashi replied quickly.

"Hinata-hime, please tell me what's wrong. I won't get mad, I promise." Naruto smiled at her slightly. The rookie Sage of Konoha gazed at her with his yellowy orange eyes, as she gazed back with tears flooding from hers. At that second he knew it was bad. He could see it in her eyes. Something told him instinctively that it related to Sasuke. She took her time to compose herself before speaking.

"Sasuke-kun assassinated the village elders last night." Hinata didn't say anymore, but the teen knew that wasn't it all. She wouldn't be so upset if it was just the elders. There had to have been something else.

"Sasuke..." The anger in his voice flooded the area with killing intent. Naruto knew that this was the last straw. He had killed Danzo, and now the rest of the village elders. Although they had personally made his life a living hell, it was still unforgiveable. Then he caught her eyes falter again. His peripheral vision had vastly improved as he saw her wipe away the tears with the edge of her jacket. "You're holding something back Hina." He didn't mean it to come out how it did, but it seemed like he was accusing her of some treachery.

"Na-Na-Naruto-kun...I'm so-sorry..." She began to bawl her eyes out as she struggled to force out what she couldn't say to him. He grabbed hold of her from behind, halting her advances. His warm, muscular arms embraced her as she turned and buried her head into his shoulder, crying into the material of his cloak. All he could do now was be her shoulder to cry on, as he stroked her flowing dark-blue hair. It seemed to calm her down significantly, yet she remained silent.

Naruto took the time to look around at the rest of the group. The deflated faces of Neji and Kiba made him wince slightly. Under usual circumstances, Kiba wouldn't hesitate to blurt something out. If even the obnoxious Inuzuka was silent, it must be bad. It felt as if the entire group were walking on egg-shells around him. It was a feeling he really did not enjoy...

"Na-ruto-kun, its Sakura..." That was all he needed to hear from her luscious lips. Red chakra began to surround him as he leaped away from the group. His bounds were enormous. Every two leaps that the others made to catch him up, he was making five. None of them could match his speed, and he was rapidly getting out of range to be affected by Yamato's chakra suppression Jutsu.

"Hold on Naruto!" Kakashi yelled, but to no avail. Three glorious tails were swinging as he leapt through the trees. One more and nothing would get through to him.

"_I have to help Sakura! I promised I would protect her. If that bastard's done anything to her I'm gunna KILL HIM!"_

"**That's it boy, feel the hatred flow through you. Set me free, and in return I'll give you all the power in the world. Only then can you stop him." **The fox chuckled as the fourth tail sprouted out from behind Naruto. His chakra was blackening, burning at his skin.

Naruto didn't reply, but his speed increased drastically due to the extra tails power. Hinata was at the forefront of the chasing pack, bounding over branch after branch, stood directly next to Kakashi.

"D-does he love Sakura?" The sadness in her eyes could not be ignored. His reaction to Sakura's name basically threw all her feelings back in her face. She couldn't help but think if this is how he would have reacted if she had been in Sakura's position.

"Hinata..." Kakashi just looked at her for a second. "...If it was you, he would have already transformed into the full blown thing." This caught Hinata's ear, as she turned to face him as she ran. Of course, her Byakugan was active so she could still see directly in front of where she was moving.

As he realised he had caught her attention, he repeated the conversation he had had with Naruto, on their way to the Kage summit. It was like music to her ears when she was told of how he defended his affection for her, how he declared his love for her, how he told them that with her in his life he was 'truly happy'. A sudden wave of chakra flowed from her. Hinata's will power had forced her chakra system to become flooded with new energy. With one fearsome leap, she rapidly closed down the gap on Naruto. And she didn't stop there. She was gaining.

"Wait Hinata, he's too far gone to be reasoned with. He will not be able to distinguish you from being friend or foe." Yamato yelled out to her. She made a slight movement to signify that she had understood his warning, yet she closed in regardless.

"I cannot understand it. She should be out of chakra. Hinata-sama does not have such vast reserves." Neji was examining her with his Byakugan. He was utterly shell shocked as to how she had amassed so much power out of nowhere.

"Love can do mysterious things, Neji. There is only one thing in that girl's heart, and that is Uzumaki Naruto." Kakashi sighed as he forced the group to pick up the pace.

They had been travelling for some time. Naruto was so close to the gate that he could almost smell that 'new paint' smell from the refurbishing. But he could sense something else, a single chakra, rapidly closing in on him from behind. However, he didn't even bat an eyelid. With a slight growl, he forced two of his tails to expand rapidly, swinging them fearsomely behind him.

"NARUTO-KUN!" That voice, that pitch, it all seemed so familiar. Even in his kyubified state, the strained words seemed so soothing on his soul. His attack tails stopped short of their target, he jumped over them, closer to the black figure that crouched on all fours. "Please, Naruto-kun, listen to my voice. I love you Naruto-kun."

The terrifying look on the monsters face was overwhelmed by confusion. The beast looked like it was caught in two minds, one to attack his _foe_, and the other, to allow her closer. It quickly settled, almost purring gently as Hinata tip-toed closer to its body.

"**Boy, what are you doing? KILL HER already. Don't forget your hatred. You need my power to kill Sasuke!" **

"_No, I don't. Hatred leads to a path I cannot follow. If I consume myself in hatred, I will be no better than him. Hinata is the light that guides me. Without her, I am nothing." _

"Hi-na-ta-hime..." Naruto's burnt body flamed in agony as he spoke, but he merely winced slightly. He didn't want her to see him in pain.

"Naruto-kun. Are you okay?" She placed her cold palm on his cheek. The sudden cold caused instant relief from the blistering heat that he could feel on his skin.

"Yeah, Kyubi forced a bit too much chakra out to hurt me, because I listened to you rather than him. He's a spoilt little brat at times." Naruto chuckled as he picked himself up. He wrapped his bare forearms around her. His cloak had been completely singed off, and a lot of the jumpsuit material had been destroyed also. The burns were near enough third-degree, but they were already healing, to Hinata's amazement.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I shouldn't have told you. I should have known you would have reacted badly." She was almost in tears again as she apologised to him, but he just clasped her chin in reply, forcing it up so that he could kiss her perky lips. It was better than any medication for the pain.

"No, I'm sorry Hinata. You should never have to see me like that. Now please, just kiss me again." He smiled as he held her close, feeling her arms grip like a vice around the back of his neck as she pulled him down to her level, so she could make good on his request. It felt good to touch him again. It felt like forever since he had left, when really it had only been a couple of days.

"Should we wait for the others?" She asked him after she pulled herself away, much to his disappointment.

"No, they can catch up to us. Now, tell me what happened to Sakura-chan. I promise I won't go Kyubi on you again." She seemed a little unsure, but she caught that irresistible smile of his and couldn't oppose him.

As they moved closer to the gate, she told him everything that she could. Obviously she had only caught the tail-end of the fight, so she could only share minor details. But the image of Sakura lay on the floor in Lee's arms, with a sword through her abdomen was all the detail that Naruto needed. He was gravely concerned, yet he remained true to his word. The Kyubi's chakra did not make another appearance as they walked through the gate.

Kotetsu gave the pair a grave look as they signed in, warning him that Kakashi wouldn't be too far behind them. Naruto caught the look, but he didn't make anything of it. He just assumed it was directed at him, considering he was covered in what looked like first-degree burns. (He healed a lot faster this time round because he didn't use it as much as when he fought Orochimaru)

The couple walked briskly through the streets towards the hospital. Every so often an onlooker would cast a 'welcome home' towards their hero, as others would give him the same grave look he had received from Kotetsu. The closer he got the more looks he was getting. Something just did not feel right. The atmosphere was all wrong.

As they walked up to the main reception, Hinata asked for Sakura's room number. The nurse looked up from her notepad at the pair, with a tear in her eye. Then she noticed who was standing with the young Hyuga.

"Room 401" she spoke ever so quietly, almost in a whisper. It was like she was trying her hardest not to anger him. This only added to his worry, as he quickly began to walk through the halls, then jog, before eventually sprinting down the final corridor. As he turned the corner, he saw her door was open. Although there were a large number of people stood inside room 401, only a pin drop could be heard. At first he couldn't see her bed, but as he coughed to grab everyone's attention, the group parted.

There lay Haruno Sakura, peaceful as could be, draped in cloth up to her shoulders. Then he noticed it. That same sober look plastered onto all of their faces. Lee, Gai, Kurenai, Tenten, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Shikaku, Shizune. As soon as they looked into his concerned eyes, their stares plummeted to admire the floor tiles. No one could bear looking at his face. Hinata instinctively hugged him as tightly as she could. It was all she could do.

"I'm so-sorry N-Naruto-kun, I...I...c-couldn't p-protect her." Lee burst into tears as he forced his free arm over his eyes to hide it, but the noise was too much for anyone to handle. Many began to feel it too. But Naruto didn't shed one tear as he looked at her. He couldn't. If he accepted she was gone, he would be all alone. Sasuke deserted him, and now Sakura. He stood there for a moment, before walking to her bedside, kneeling at her side. He placed his hand on hers, but it was cold to the touch. The rest of the group looked on in sadness at what they saw.

"Rest in Peace, Sakura-chan."

* * *

Author Note:

Thanks for all the reviews guys. :)

Sorry this chapter has taken so long, but I eventually got a bit of free time, so I decided to write this up pretty quickly. That being the case, there may be mistakes, so apologies if you find any.

There was originally two plans for this chapter, but I eventually decided to go down this route, simply because I thought it would progress the characters and the story better...well, aside from Lee...he's gunna be pretty messed up.

Not a great fan of Kurenai/Asuma pairing, so for the sake of my story she isn't pregnant with his baby. Although, she was dating him until he died. All will be revealed in a later chapter.)

Just changed a few things around. Clearly I know nothing about burns.

Not liking all the negative press guys, but I guess it can't be helped. Sakura is a marmite character after all.

Please take time to review, I reply to all reviews, good or bad.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: By gum I wish I owned Naruto...I wouldn't be churning out irrelevant flashback filler shite weekly, or progressing the manga _far_ too quickly. Sadly, I don't, so we all have to put up with it.

Author Note: Sorry it's been AGES since my last update. Apologies.

***Chapter 8 -***

The overwhelming sadness within the room seemed to radiate in all directions, infecting all those who were aware of the pink haired Kunoichi's demise. The painful grimaces on the many shinobi who walked solemnly throughout their 'new' village told a thousand words to those who did not yet know. Amongst those who had yet to hear of Sakura's death, was the Hokage. Although he knew of the severity of her condition, he, as well as the rest of the squad he arrived with, did not know whether the operation had been successful.

"Ho-Hokage-sama..." Kotetsu managed to form the welcome to the calm looking Hatake Kakashi. Although he looked at ease, he was more distraught now than he had ever been...well, since Rin that is.

"Good afternoon Kotetsu. I'm glad that the village is still standing. Naruto was...not himself, when he advanced from our group." The tinge of relief under Kakashi's almost humoured remark quickly dissipated when he looked at the guard's reaction to his comment. The look he received from the wild haired Chuunin told him that "you really shouldn't be making jokes", as well as "I'm so sorry".

"Neji, search for Sakura's chakra signature." The cool facade began to falter on Kakashi's face as he watched the white eyes of Neji shoot open, scrutinising every chakra system he could set his eyes on from there to the hospital. He found nothing.

The gentle shake of his head signified to Kakashi that he couldn't locate her. As if on cue, the heavens opened on Konoha. As if it couldn't get worse for Kakashi, a black cat scurried out into his path as he moved away from the registration booth. '_This is really not good...' _he thought to himself as he signalled Yamato, Neji, Kiba and Shino to follow him towards the hospital.

The group scaled up the wall of the nearest building, and began jumping over the rooftops as quickly as their fatigued legs could carry them. Kakashi and Yamato were much fresher than the others, who were beginning to lag behind. The Hokage noticed this, but he pressed on regardless. He _had _to get to the hospital. Sasuke had reached the point of no return; there was no way he was losing another of his students as well. He couldn't go through such a loss again.

They got there after about five minutes, and they were immediately struck by the eerie silence of the reception. Many were in tears, but most were just sat in silence, contemplating many things in their heads.

"Haruno Sakura's room." The assertive and disrespectful tone of Kakashi's voice slightly angered the receptionist as she pulled her tear stained face from her arms. But when she noticed the red Kage robes he was donning, she could begin to understand the attitude.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Room 401." The same solemn look she gave Naruto was painted on her face, underneath the tear streaks. Kakashi knew by the look that it was too late, yet he rushed as fast as he could down the corridor, with the rest of the group failing miserably at keeping up.

As he reached the open door of room 401, he saw the semi-circle of saddened faces looking towards the single occupied bed in the ward. The next thing he noticed was the wild blonde locks, knelt by the side of the bed, with a comforting hand gently squeezing the shoulder the hair belonged to. The body language of Naruto and Hinata did not sit well with him as his footsteps echoed into the silent room, alerting everyone to his presence. The group turned in unison as Kakashi, Yamato, Neji, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru fanned out into the already crowded room, slowly walking towards the others.

"Hokage-sama," Shikaku spoke first as he left the group and headed to greet his friend, and his superior, "I-I am so sorry, I failed you." The council was dead, as was Sakura; one of Kakashi's students, and Sasuke was the culprit. It had all happened on his watch, and he didn't know if Kakashi could ever forgive him.

"I-it's okay, Shikaku. I..." Kakashi's stuttering was cut out by an outburst from behind him.

"God damnit Sasuke! I'm gunna kill him for this!" Kiba was fuming. Everyone was taken aback by the outburst, but when they realised it came from the mouth of the hot-headed Inuzuka, they just ignored it. Everyone had their own way of dealing with things, and it was well known that Inuzuka's couldn't keep their opinions to themselves. Akamaru began to growl slightly in his master's direction, in an attempt to urge him to shut up. Kiba just wasn't reading the tone of the room at all as his outburst continued, spitting his venomous words around the room.

"Shut up and show some respect to Sakura! If you can't be quiet then get the hell out!" Everyone was more shocked by the sudden outburst that came from the extremely introverted Hyuga, whose eyes zoned in on Kiba with more hatred than anyone had ever seen from her. Her teammate began to quake in his boots when he saw the Byakugan activate on her pale face. He had known her for so long, but this was the first time she had ever shouted at him.

"Its okay hime," Naruto stood up from his crouched position and wrapped his arms around her waist as he whispered into her ear, "let him be." The instance the words passed through his lips, she relaxed her back into him, as she disengaged her eyes from her _target. _

Kiba too relaxed a little as her eyes moved away from him. He still felt a little uneasy as the rest of the group seemed to be thinking what Hinata had said. As Akamaru moaned slightly, Kiba eventually got the picture and stood at the back of the group, away from prying eyes.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you, Sakura." That was all that Kakashi could muster before his voice began to falter from his usual 'I don't give a shit' tone.

It was obvious to everyone that he wasn't taking it very well, no more so than Kurenai. She walked up behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder as a means of comfort. She was one of the few that knew what Kakashi had been through in the past. The loss of his best friend, his girlfriend and wife-to-be, the loss of his Sensei, and of course the loss of his parents. The inner turmoil that Kakashi had felt for so many years, she had only begun to feel with the death of Asuma. A death of a student was something that she was yet to witness, and frankly never wanted to, yet she could only offer her hand to him as a means of comfort and hope that he took it.

To her surprise, he did. He raised his hand up to his shoulder, and squeezed her petite fingers gently in a way that said "thank you" before returning his gaze back to his peaceful student. He felt so much grief as he gazed at her still body, yet he somehow seemed so much more at ease with Kurenai's hand on his shoulder. It was almost...soothing.

"We will get him Naruto-san. Everyone in this room will help you avenge her." Neji's words were greeted with a sea of nods from the others.

Everyone seemed to feel exactly the same, Sasuke had to be dealt with, and soon. Previously everyone was willing to go along with Tsunade's initial orders three years ago, to _capture _him. But now, you could see the anger in their faces, except for Lee that is. He looked worse than everyone put together. In a way, the last thing she did was 'open her eyes' to him, and that's what hurt him more than anything. Sasuke's final words to him sunk into his mind like a hot poker. _"How touching. I guess you finally got her in the end. Now you can join her."_

He wanted vengeance, he wanted his head on a pike, but he wanted Sakura to be alive even more. He couldn't save her, he was too weak and she died because of that. He would much rather die than live knowing that his weakness is the reason that she was no longer here.

"No. There will be no vengeful acts against him." Naruto's words caused everyone to take a double take.

"What? Can you be serious? Look what he did to Sakura!" Kiba was robustly voicing his opinion again, but this time Naruto reacted faster than Hinata could put him back in his place. In the blink of an eye, Kiba was being pressed against the back wall, with a kunai to his throat. Naruto's blood red eyes scared Kiba half to death as he spoke.

"Are you _that _stupid to think that I don't care about what that bastard did to her? She was like my sister you _idiot. _Now shut up and let me speak." By the end of his dressing down of Kiba, the sea of blue had returned to Naruto's eyes as he turned to the shocked group, aside from Yamato and Kakashi, who knew firsthand how fast he could be.

"I will never be able to forgive him for this, and I know that no one in this room will be able to either. Haruno Sakura was a beloved friend, and has saved the lives of everyone in this room on more than one occasion. But, if we seek out Sasuke with only vengeance in mind, we will be no better than him." Many in the group began to look puzzled at his words. They fully expected him to come out berating the Uchiha bastard for his actions. No one expected such, composure.

"Jiraiya-sensei left me with the task of bringing peace to this war-torn world, and there is no way that we can achieve peace through vengeance. Look at what happened with Pain. He is the prime example of how _not _to live. He tried to achieve peace by bringing death and pain to all those that had pained him. Sasuke is rooting out all those that he believes are to blame for the death of his clan, and is reaping vengeance as he sees fit. If we hunt him down, we will only become as empty and hollow as he has become." His words forcefully resonated around the room, slowly being taken in by all those who heard it.

"We cannot just let him off without any form of punishment. He has killed a fellow shinobi, as well as the entire elder council. Any one of the incurrence's should bring the death penalty." Shikaku stated 'matter-of-factly' as his words brought a few groans from the group.

"Don't worry, Sasuke will die. But he will die on the battlefield, and he will die by the sword that he killed Sakura with." Lee was forcibly pushing himself up from his wheelchair as he spoke. The sadness in his face was still there, but he seemed, different.

"Lee, please don't push yourself." Gai urged his student to sit down again, but he continued to take small steps towards the centre of the room, where Naruto was stood. It was only after he passed through a number of people was it clear that he was clenching something with his free hand.

"You should have this, Naruto-kun. You are the only person in this village capable of defeating him. I don't care how you do it, vengeance or not, but I want you to kill him. Do you understand me?" Lee was visibly shaking as the anger in his voice turned into a shrilled gasp for breath as he began to collapse to the ground. Naruto caught him before he hit the deck, and sat him back into the wheel chair.

"I-I understand Lee." Naruto wanted to fully oblige with Lee's request. He wanted to kill him for what he's done, but he knew that hatred was not the answer. He could never forgive him, and frankly there was no alternative than to kill him. But when he looked at Hinata, the hate melted away. Something Jiraiya had told him once came to mind as he looked at her.

~~Flashback~~

"_Do you know where true power comes from Naruto?"_

"_From your fists, and the Jutsu's that you use Ero-sennin." _Naruto replied quickly without even thinking as he turned back to the three clones he was sparring with.

"_Baka! True strength comes from having someone that stands by your side. A person who has something to fight for, something to protect, something or someone to love, will always triumph against those who are fuelled by hatred and fight for personal gain." _Jiraiya laughed at his young students puzzled face. He really was so slow.

"_But, then why do you train me so hard? I have friends who I want to protect, I want to protect everyone. Shouldn't I be strong enough already?" _Jiraiya chuckled again at his disciples words.

"_You must look underneath the underneath you baka." _

"_Stop calling me 'baka' you pervert!"_

"_I am not a pervert! I am a Super pervert!" _The grin that wisped across Jiraiya's face made Naruto laugh uncontrollably as he looked at his sensei. '_You definitely made a good one, Minato.' _

"_What do you mean, 'look underneath the underneath'?" _The confusion in his voice returned again as he stewed over the words.

"_You'll understand when the times right. Now, let's get back to our 'information gathering'." _The perverted smirk returned as the two left for the hot springs.

~~End flashback~~

When he looked at her, he finally understood what Ero-sennin had meant. She was the shining light that would keep him from the path of despair and vengeance. She would give him the strength that he would need. The overriding desire to protect his 'precious people' trumped his desire for revenge when he looked at Hinata.

"As long as I have everyone in this village behind me, I will be able to defeat him. _True _strength comes to those that will put their lives on the line to protect everyone they care about. As long as we stick together, we will not lose. That is our will of fire." He turned back to his sensei, who had remained quiet for a long time. "What do you say Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi looked at the large group that were staring back at him, waiting for a reply. After all, it was his decision on what was going to happen.

"Naruto is right. But I will not be sending a mission to assassinate him. We have much greater issues to attend to. Uchiha Madara and Akatsuki have declared war on the ninja world."

"What?" many of the people in the crowd replied in unison to what their Hokage told them. An extremely tense silence ensued as the group waited for answers.

"It's true. The five Shinobi Nations, as well as the Samurai of Tetsu no Kumo, have formed an alliance against the Akatsuki. If the reports of Sasuke are true, it will not be long before we cross paths on the battlefield." Naruto's reassurance that Kakashi spoke the truth was a bit disheartening to the youngest of the group. They were yet to experience war, where as the more seasoned of the group, had lived through one.

"We must call an emergency clan head meeting immediately. ANBU, alert the head of each clan and tell them to be at the Hokage tower in fifteen minutes." As soon as Kakashi finished speaking, four figures in ANBU attire appeared from nowhere, and immediately shunshined out of existence as soon as they acknowledged his order.

"Shikaku, Yamato, and Naruto, I require your presence for this meeting. Everyone else should take the day off. No missions will be issued today."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The group replied in unison as Kakashi gave Sakura one final look, before moving towards the exit. Naruto did the same, giving her hand one final grasp before hugging his beloved Hyuga princess, and signalling goodbye to the rest.

Many of the others lingered around, contemplating the life that was Haruno Sakura. Slowly, one by one, the group departed until only Team Gai was left. Tenten embraced Neji in a hug, as Gai tried his best to pick up Lee's spirits. He had reverted back to his saddened self after his angry outburst. He seemed so dejected and it was hurting Gai more than anything.

"I'm sorry Lee; we weren't fast enough in getting to you. I understand if you can't forgive us." Neji took the words straight out of Gai's mouth. He was showing a great deal of angst and pain as he spoke. In his eyes he had been more to blame than Lee. At least Lee was there. But the backup didn't reach them quick enough.

"I-its okay, N-Neji-kun. We will get him, even if it's the last thing I do." Lee quickly brushed away the tears and looked up to Gai. "I want you to teach me _that_ move."

Gai simply looked down at his faithful student for the briefest of moments, so that he could see the pain in his eyes. His only reply was a simple nod in acknowledgement as he grabbed Lee's wheelchair, and headed towards the door.

'_I hope that you get to him first Naruto,'_ Gai thought to himself as they left back towards Lee's room, finally leaving Sakura at peace.

* * *

The silence in the Hokage tower was enough to drive someone insane. Kakashi had just finished telling the clan heads what had happened at the Kage summit. It was a lot to take in, considering that War had been declared by someone who should have died decades ago. The fact that an alliance had been formed between the great shinobi nations was another factor, as it was an entirely new phenomenon. All of the clan's representatives were old enough to have lived through the previous war, and they knew what it meant for the village. Add that to what had happened the previous night inside the village, and you have a cause for wide spread panic in Konoha.

Surprisingly, Aburame Shibi was the first to speak up.

"What goal are the Akatsuki trying to achieve by this action? From what you have already informed, there is only believed to be seven members remaining in the organisation."

"All we know is that Madara is after the Biju's, and as far as we know the only one _not _to have been captured is Naruto. The Hachibi is believed to be their prisoner, but has not yet been sealed. With the power of all of the Biju's, he would easily have the capability to wipe everyone off the face off this earth." Kakashi replied quickly to the bug user. The answer appeared to satisfy him as he simply nodded and became quiet again.

"If that is the case, shouldn't our top priority to be searching for the Jinchuriki of the Hachibi?" Shikaku butted in before anyone else could speak.

"Indeed, but we have no idea where the Akatsuki hideout is. On top of that, we are in no position to aid assistance. This is the weakest our village has been since Orochimaru attacked four years ago..." Kakashi was trying to explain his reasons for his lack of desire to assist when he was cut off by his student.

"Killer Bee is the Raikage's brother, and the Raikage has assured me that he will find him. But Kakashi-sensei is right; we are in no position to aid them." Naruto's urgency to get the council behind Kakashi was well noted by the Hokage. He was lucky he still had one student to look out for him.

"Thank you Naruto." Kakashi smiled slightly before standing up and walking towards the window. "With the village elders gone, we need to assemble a new council, and frankly there are no fitting replacements. Unless anyone here can think of a better alternative, I propose that we change the way in which the village is governed into a clan based system. Decisions will be made by those that are in this room."

This seemed to be greeted by a wave of uncertainty. By doing this, Kakashi was placing the power of the village into a handful of people, yet in a sense, it removed the bureaucratic nuisance that was civilians out for personal gain. After a period of open conversation between the clan heads, they eventually agreed that this was the best course of action.

"Of course, this would only be temporary. I will have to get the approval of the Daimyo to make this permanent. And with that, I would also like to propose that an extra seat be added to the council for Uzumaki _Namikaze_ Naruto, sole survivor of two of the most prestigious clans the Ninja world has ever known."

*pin drop*

"No...Way...you are the Yondaime's legacy?" Tsume blurted out in shear disbelief.

"Please tell me you _did _notice the resemblance? They look _identical_. How else could he learn, and complete Minato's signature move so quickly?" Shikaku goaded the Inuzuka before something happened that resulted in utter silence. Hyuga Hiashi...laughed.

"Wow, I don't think I have ever seen the high and mighty Hyuga Hiashi laugh before." Inoichi laughed awkwardly as Hiashi began to stare him down.

"What's so funny Hiashi-sama?" Naruto requested an explanation for the sudden uncharacteristic behaviour.

"I'm sorry Naruto-san. I did not mean to offend you. It's just, well, it makes sense now. Your mother and Hinata's mother were best friends in the academy. It explains a lot as to why you two have become so close. Also, it is quite funny that Tsume failed to notice the similarities between you and your father."

Inuzuka Tsume sunk back into her chair. Even Hiashi, king of uptight bastards was making fun of her. His remark even gleaned a nod of approval from Shibi, as well as laughter from Choza and Shikaku. Before Naruto could ask him about his mother, Kakashi chirped up.

"As much as I would love to make Tsume squirm some more, we still have one matter left to attend to. Naruto, what _exactly _is your plan?" Kakashi turned to face the blonde haired, blue eyed teen, waiting patiently for an answer.

"Hiashi-sama, if you don't mind, could I borrow your Byakugan for a bit?" Naruto asked calmly.

"For what purpose do you require my sight?" Hiashi replied unsure of Naruto's request.

"From what Hinata-hime has told me, the Byakugan can be used to detect any form of deception. If I am going to discuss my plan, I need to know that no one in this room will ever betray the knowledge they are about to receive." Naruto looked around the room, taking a mental image of all of their reactions. He fully expected looks of disgust, but all he received was a tone of understanding.

"Understood, Naruto-san. Byakugan!" Hiashi's white eyes widened as the veins grew from the sockets. With his activated eyes, he began to scan all those in the room, as well as the ANBU standing guard outside it. As soon as Naruto was given a nod of approval by Hiashi, he began to form seals at a rapid pace.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

"Naruto-chan, I was just about to summon you myself. The elder sage has requested your presence." Fukusaku sat in the middle of the table, surrounded by the council. It only took the briefest of moments before he could feel so many pairs of eyes burrowing into him. "What's going on here Tsun...Kakashi!" The elder toad began to get quite uneasy as to why Kakashi was the one wearing the Kage robes.

For the next ten minutes or so, Kakashi and Naruto explained to him all that had happened since he and the rest of the toads had been reverse summoned back to Mount Myoboku. It didn't take long for him to become acclimatised to the severity of the situation.

"That brings me onto my plan. Mount Myoboku is near enough impossible to find, unless you already know how to get there. With your permission, I would like to station myself there, until I am needed in battle. That way no one will be able to find me, and I will only be a summoning away from the frontline of any battle that I may be needed in." Naruto laid out his plan as simply as he could to the council. It seemed decent enough to them. He was out of harm's way, and was easily accessible at any time.

"I am sure it will be fine Naruto-chan. I will have to have a messenger toad stationed here at all times, but that can be arranged. However, I will not allow any Ninja forces to be stationed with him. I hope that is satisfactory Hokage-san?"

"That should be fine..." Naruto cut off Kakashi again before he could finish.

"I do have one request. There is someone I would like to bring with me, if it would be acceptable?" Naruto blushed slightly as he spoke. Everyone around the table noticed the pink arise in his cheeks, no one more so than Hiashi.

"You have my permission, Naruto-san, on the proviso that you help to train her further." Hiashi forced his words upon Naruto with a watchful eye. He knew what he was up to, but he also knew that his daughter would be much safer away from the action.

"Bagged yourself a Hyuga huh? Well done kiddo." Fukusaku nudged the teens arm teasingly as he turned back to Kakashi. "I will allow _one _person to accompany him, but I expect him to be ready to go by tonight. We really need to bring him back before the elder toad forgets what he wants him for." Naruto deadpanned as he remembered upon his previous conversation with the elderly sage toad, how forgetful he could be.

"Very well. If everyone is satisfied then you are all dismissed. I expect everyone to return tomorrow for the war council meeting. I shall inform the Daimyo of the issue. And Shikaku, bring Shikamaru with you. Two Nara masterminds are better than one."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," the clan members stood up and left in single file. Only Naruto, Yamato, and Fukusaku remained.

"I will go and ask Hinata-hime about it. I will summon you when we are ready to go." The teen told the sage toad before heading towards the double doors.

"Oh, and another thing Naruto. Change your clothes before you leave, that combat suit is torn to shreds." He simply nodded in compliance to Kakashi's words of wisdom as he left the room. The others waited for him to leave the floor before they began to talk again.

"I would strongly recommend allowing Yamato to accompany the two of them. He possesses the ability to control the Kyubi's chakra, in case any trouble arises." Kakashi openly urged Fukusaku to reconsider, but the sage toad had other ideas in mind.

"I don't doubt that, but after tomorrow, Naruto will have no need for a babysitter. The decision has been made, and we are giving him the other half of the Kyubi's seal. When he activates it, he will be able to control the Kyubi, with his own free will and use its chakra openly." The sage instantly rejected Kakashi's request.

"And if he fails in taming the Kyubi?"

"He will not fail. Naruto is the child of prophecy, said to bring peace to the ninja world. He will succeed. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get home and tell Ma that we should be expecting guests." Before Kakashi or Yamato could protest, Fukusaku dismissed himself, leaving a small cloud of smoke where he was stood.

Kakashi and Yamato looked at each other uneasily, before Yamato shunshined away, leaving the Hokage alone in the meeting room. He really didn't want to be alone at a time like this. Now that everyone had left, all he could think about was Sakura and Sasuke. '_What did I do wrong Kami? Am I that bad of a sensei that one of my students killed the other? Is this what the Sandaime felt like when Orochimaru betrayed Konoha?' _

Kakashi sat with his head in his hands, silently asking himself question after question in his mind. Where did it all go wrong?

* * *

In a darkened room, a single occupied bed, accompanied by a heart-beat monitor, saw its patient slowly wake up from their drugged state. As the figure grew more conscious, they managed to haul their tired body into an upright position, so that they were leaning against the headboard. As the solitary lamp swung from the ceiling in the draft, the light finally caught the patients face, highlighting the bandages across their eyes and nose. The figures battered hands clawed up to their face, feeling at where the pain was coming from. It was excruciating, but they could feel the power growing from their eye-sockets.

Sasuke was blind, but he was alerted by the sound of the footsteps coming towards him. "I'm glad you finally changed your mind, Sasuke-kun. It would have been a waste of a good set of Mangekyo eyes if you hadn't of taken them." A masked figure chuckled lightly as they walked out from the shadows.

"Why didn't you take them? Surely you could use an extra set." Sasuke was bitter. He didn't want to take Itachi's eyes, but after his fight with Lee he could feel his eyesight failing him.

"I have no need for them. In due time, you will see the _true _power of _Uchiha _Madara." He held back a sadistic laugh before continuing. "Besides, you will thank me when you get to try your new _eternal _Mangekyo Sharingan. Your eyesight will not falter, and your power will increase tenfold."

Sasuke didn't reply he just lay back down again, using his hearing to keep himself alert in case Madara did something. He still didn't trust him.

"I take it your _mission _was a success?"

"I achieved my goal. I am one step away from avenging Itachi. And I finally got to silence that fucking fan-girl. I lost my sword though. That was a bit of a downer on proceedings." He sighed as he reminisced on his killing spree. He really did enjoy the feel of another person's blood washing his hands clean.

"How did you _lose _a sword of Kusanagi?" Madara was intrigued by this. The sword used by Sasuke and Orochimaru was a fabled sword, one of the best ever made. For Sasuke to just, _lose _it, sounded completely absurd.

"Well, I assume it's where I left it, unless they removed it from Sakura's stomach already." Madara laughed at the cold hearted Uchiha's words. In a matter of weeks, he had turned the kid from an avenger, into a cold blooded murderer. It was going exactly how he had planned.

The two shared a silent appreciation of their hatred of Konoha, before Madara left the room, leaving Sasuke to relax back into his pillow. It would take a couple of days for his body to get used to the new set of eyes, so he allowed himself to return back to the calm pastures of his mindscape...

Unfortunately for Sasuke, during his unconscious journey back to the hideout, he had picked up a tail. Outside of the rock face that the cave travelled deep into, a three man cell lay in wait for their backup to arrive.

"Are you sure this is the place? That cave seems too shallow." A red-headed girl asked barely above a whisper.

"There is an extremely strong Genjutsu placed on the entrance. This is definitely the place." The leader of the cell replied at the same volume.

"If this is the place, and we get spotted before backup arrives, we may have to fight every member of Akatsuki singlehanded. If we can't take them out, then we will probably die, then all the girls waiting for me in Konoha and Kumo will commit suicide because they can't bear to live without me. Then I will be stuck in heaven with fifty girls try..."

"For fuck's sake will you shut up Omoi?" Karui was barely audible, but she was loud enough, and aggressive enough to get her point across to her tanned teammate.

The group sat there in silence after that. Any noise could trigger an incident that they were not prepared for. A three man cell could not take on the entire Akatsuki.

* * *

Konoha was a very sombre place. News had spread of the deaths of the elders, Sakura, and the start of the Fourth Great Ninja War. There wasn't a happy face within the village walls that was for sure. As the evening drew nearer, it didn't get much better. The alcohol was beginning to flow freely in many of the bars, but it didn't really help lighten the mood.

As Naruto walked through the village, he was greeted by many who wanted to pay their respects to his teammate. It wasn't helping him much, but at least he knew that the village cared for Sakura, and also for his well being. He had taken Kakashi's advice and changed his attire before he headed out to meet Hinata at the Hyuga compound.

He had no spare combat suits when he got back to his apartment, so he left for the clothing store at the end of the street. He found a pair of black combat trousers, but they were slightly too long for him, so he used white strapping to tie them to his combat sandals. He matched it with a high necked, long sleeved, black fitted undershirt, with the red swirls of the Uzumaki clan on both shoulders. It was such a change to his normal attire. It felt so loose, and it wasn't covered in such loud colours. He felt the blackness was a bit much, but he was in mourning after all. It also surprised him how much it cost him. The material was much better quality than what he usually bought, but it was only a fraction of the price. _'Maybe I get a hero's discount' _he thought to himself as he handed his money over to the quiet shopkeeper.

It was unfortunate that he wasn't a Chuunin, one of the standard combat vests would have made his outfit complete. He felt like one of the older shinobi with his new look, and many were gazing at him in ore. It made him a little uneasy, but even he couldn't realise how similar to his father he looked in his new attire. Especially since everyone in the village now knew that he was in fact the blood kin of the Yondaime Hokage. The only thing that could make him more famous was if he became the Hokage.

After a short while he reached the gateway of the Hyuga compound. He knew the guards so well now that they just nodded and let him in without any hassle. It was such a benefit being in Hiashi's good books, he could enter the compound uninvited whenever he liked. As the rookie sage of Konoha walked through the flower garden of the head family he caught the sound of a fight coming from the dojo. It couldn't hurt to take a look, right?

"Juuken!" The two combatants screamed the Jutsu at the same point as the pair traded blows.

"Kaiten!" The two domes of swirling chakra met in the middle of the mat, causing sparks to fly from the impact points. Eventually the two attacks cancelled each other out.

It was unbelievable what Naruto saw. Hinata was fighting Neji, and she was winning. His beautiful girlfriend looked a little tired, but her movement was perfect and in time with Neji's attacks, allowing her to dodge with relative ease. Neji on the other hand, looked a little worse for wear. One of his shoulders sagged slightly, signifying that he had been caught by a full Juuken strike at some point in their spar. His breathing was as irregular as Hinata's. Both looked they had been at it for a while.

"I'll be with you in a minute Naruto-kun." The look of determination loosened on her face slightly as she spoke, smiling at him as he took to his usual seat besides Hiashi. The clan head simply nodded at the teen, taking a note of his new attire before returning to the action.

"You let your guard down, Hinata-sama..." A fatigued Neji took advantage of her dropped stance and went in for the kill, moving quickly over the mat with chakra charged into his left palm. He was mere inches away from striking her left breast before she gave him a sly smile. In an instant she ducked out of the way of the attack, spinning on her hand as she delivered a roundhouse kick to his cheek. The kick wasn't overly forceful, but Neji was off balance as it connected, catapulting him towards the wall. Luckily for Neji, Naruto used a number of Kage Bunshin's to lessen the blow.

"S-sorry Neji-kun. Are you okay?" Hinata was a little distressed; she really didn't aim to hurt him...that much.

"Do not apologise Hinata-sama...you defeated me fair and square. I was unprepared for such an, unpredictable manoeuvre." He latched on to the hand that was being held above him as he spoke, allowing Naruto to haul him up off two of the clones that survived the impact.

"What can I say; I guess my unpredictable nature rubs off on people. Right hime?" he smiled at her as she walked over to the two teens, embracing Naruto in a bear hug, sapping the air from his lungs. All Naruto could do was hug back as she snuggled into him. "Speaking of unpredictable behaviour, you should have been in the clan head meeting today when..."

*Cough* "Naruto, don't you have something to ask my daughter?" The urgency in his voice and the fake cough made Naruto chuckle slightly. If Naruto told his daughter and nephew how he had openly laughed in the middle of the meeting, his image would be shot forever. Naruto felt the prankster returning, yet refrained. He really didn't want to piss off the guy who had already given him so much lee-way when it came down to his daughter.

"Sorry Hiashi-sama, I got a little sidetracked." Naruto sniggered a bit at that, alerting Hiashi to the fact that he was genuinely thinking about saying it.

"You don't need to call me 'sama' anymore Naruto. After Hokage-sama's decree today, we are equals." This caught the attention of both Hinata, and Neji.

"Equals? May I inquire as to how?" Neji asked as politely as he could, but it was clear he was a little miffed to say the least, that Hiashi had called him 'equal'.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei kind of revealed my heritage during the clan head meeting this afternoon. But to be perfectly honest, he had to. Madara already told everyone at the Kage summit who my father is...well was. It was more appropriate that any word of it came from the Hokage, rather than a shinobi from a different country. I would have liked to have kept it our little secret Hina-hime, but Madara somehow knew who I really am." He seemed a little upset as he spoke. He really did want it to be their little secret. Until the Kage summit, only Hinata and Kakashi knew his full name.

"It's okay Naruto-kun, I understand." Hinata smiled up at him before she kissed his chin. "So will you be using your full name now?"

"I think it would be appropriate considering I am technically representing _both _clans on the council."

"I'm sorry but could you please tell me what you three are talking about. I am at a total loss here." Neji was becoming a little agitated with the fact that they appeared to be having a private conversation without him.

"Let's just say when you called me a _loser_ all those years ago; you were _way_ off the mark. From now on you can call me, Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto." The look of utter dumbfounded disbelief on Neji's face was enough to think he had lost his marbles.

"N-Na-Namikaze? Y-your f-f-father wa..." Neji's stuttering easily put Hinata's old self to shame as Naruto finished it off for him.

"My father is Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage and Konoha's 'Yellow Flash'." Neji paled even more than the norm for a Hyuga's milky complexion.

"So what did you need to ask me, Naru-kun?" Hinata played with his locks teasingly as she spoke. He'd gotten side-tracked again trying to make Neji jealous.

"Let's walk hime. I think we should talk about this alone. I hope you don't mind Hiashi-san?"

"No, no. You already have my opinion." Hiashi watched as the two left hand in hand, leaving him with an unbelievably gobsmacked Neji. The elder Hyuga simply sighed and left the gaping teen in his place, as he walked back to his quarters. There was something Hiashi wanted to find before they left.

The couple walked slowly through the garden, before setting down underneath a huge oak tree that resided within the grounds. They sat down against the stump, relaxed as can be on such a terrible day. Naruto felt extremely conflicted as he sat there. He was in mourning, he was in pain, yet he was happy that he could finally be with Hinata. The couple shared a moment in blissful relaxation before Hinata prompted him to ask her what her father alluded to.

"I will be leaving Konoha this evening, and I don't know how long I am going to be gone for..." Before Naruto finished Hinata had gripped herself around his waist tightly, and was almost in tears. "...hey, hey, Hina-hime, it's okay. That's what I wanted to ask you about."

She picked her tear struck face from his shoulder, gazing up at his sky blue gems, waiting desperately for what he was going to ask.

"Would you like to...?"

"Of course I would Naruto-kun." She answered his question before he could even finish asking her. The kiss she planted on his deprived lips was even better than knowing that she was going to be going with him.

They wrapped each other in their arms as they rolled playfully on the grass, kissing each other happily. Some of the other Hyuga's that were walking by just looked on in disbelief, thinking how 'un-Hyuga' the heir's actions were. That was the reactions of the men, who were simply jealous of Naruto. Hinata had grown up to be a beautiful woman. The women simply made an 'awwhhh' noise at what they deemed to be a _cute_ sight.

"But, what about the War? We can't abandon the village now." Hinata's happiness seemed to dissipate when she realised that she would be leaving at a time when she would be needed the most.

"Hime, it's okay. We will be able to be summoned back home any time we are needed. I know it's selfish of me, but I want you to be with me. I could be away from the village for a very long time, and I don't want to be away from you again." He hoped she could understand where he was coming from. If the kiss she gave him was anything to go by, he was pretty sure that she did.

"Will anyone else be coming with us? Don't you need a security detail?" She asked intriguingly, hoping for a resounding no.

"I have my security detail sat next to me." Hinata knew at that moment that they would be alone, without anyone else from Konoha. It would be, perfect.

"You should really get packing; we will be leaving in two hours. Fukusaku-sama told me that I need to get to Mount Myoboku before the day is up." This alerted Hinata slightly. She had to be packed in _two hours_? Without warning she shot off into the main building. All Naruto could hear from his position under the tree were massive amounts of screams and lots of "sorry" being shouted through the chaos.

'_I really should have told her earlier_._' _He chuckled to himself as he headed towards her room.

As he walked through the door, he could see what destruction she had left in her wake. Near the entrance, a maid was busy picking up bed sheets off of the floor. Naruto crossed his fingers into the seal for the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and left three clones to help her pick everything up. Further down the corridor he saw a similar sight, only this time it was with dirty laundry. He left a few more Bunshin's to assist the maids as he walked further down the corridor to his hime's room.

All that could be heard on the other side of the screen door was the sound of someone frantically rushing around the room, coat-hangers clanging together as the clothes were ripped from them, drawers slamming shut and then being opened again. As he slid the door open, he was greeted by a pillow flying directly at his face. Unluckily for Naruto, his defences weren't fast enough, and it hit him full on in the face.

"Hey, watch it Hina-hime, you could have had my eye out." She giggled as he failed to keep a straight face as he 'told her off', before he began to tickle her, only making her laugh even more. _'Who would have known she was ticklish too?'_ he thought to himself as he noticed something from the corner of his eye.

"If you are going to fondle my daughter, please keep the door closed." Naruto immediately let go of Hinata and stood up straight, looking extremely serious.

"I'm sorry Hiashi-sama, I mean Hiashi-san, but she _did _throw a pillow at me." Hinata let out a squeaky laugh as she turned to her father to apologise for their public showing of affection.

"I take by the state of your room that you have decided to go with Naruto-san? If so, then I would like to see you before you leave." With that Hiashi bowed to the couple, and slid the door shut as his footsteps carried on down the corridor.

The two turned to each other and for the briefest of moments shared an awkward silence, before they simultaneously burst out laughing.

"I thought he was going to kill me..." Naruto laughed at the prospect, then realised that it was probably on his mind, making him pale slightly. She nudged him reassuringly before returning back to the many piles that were laid out on her bed.

"Can you help me pack Naruto-kun? I don't even know where we are going."

"A tropical paradise called Mount Myoboku, land of the toad summons. I hope that makes things a little easier?" He smiled as she instantly rummaged through her half packed backpack, and pulled out a number of winter clothes.

"Much easier, thank you Naru-kun." With that the two made quick work of the packing. She only took one large backpack, but it had enough supplies in it for at least a month. It wasn't an issue really, because if they ran out, they could come back at any time to get more. "Can you pick up that parcel for me, please?" She pointed to the long and shallow rectangular box that was stored at the foot of her open wardrobe. It was wrapped like a birthday present.

"Who is this for hime? You know we can return at any time for their birthday?" He sounded a little confused as she simply walked over to him and planted a kiss onto his whiskered cheek.

"What is the date today?"

"It's October sixth, what does that have to do wi..." It finally clicked in his head.

"Thank you hime." He placed his present on the bed and pulled her in close, brushing the hair away from her beautiful face before moving his lips towards her ear. "I love you," was all that he whispered into it as the words tingled on her exposed skin.

"I love you too, Naru-kun." She raised her hand to his cheek, cupping it as she pulled his face towards her lips, pressing them against his. It wasn't very passionate, yet it still felt unbelievably good. It was comforting more than anything, and that was what he needed to feel.

The moment passed slowly, and the two eventually separated their parched lips. Naruto performed his most useful jutsu and left a number of clones to tidy up Hinata's room, as they left for Hiashi's office.

As they walked, many of the branch members greeted Hinata politely, and also nodded in respect to Naruto. Some even commented on his new outfit, mostly girls, who were quickly put in their place by the glare they received by the girl on his arm. Hinata wasn't an aggressive person, but she would protect _her _boyfriend from anyone.

*Knock**Knock*

"Come in." The monotone voice on the other side of the door called the couple into the office.

As they opened the door, Hinata was greeted by a flying hug from a blur of white and blue. Hiashi sat behind his desk and looked on as his two daughters embraced each other in a hug; with Neji stood besides Hiashi with a significantly more reserved look to when Naruto left him before.

"Please look after my daughter, Naruto-san. I will be holding you responsible for _anything _that happens to Hinata. Do I make myself clear?" Naruto gulped.

"Crystal. Would you like me to give you a moment with your family?" He had gotten a little uneasy after what Hiashi said, and the death glare that came with it.

"No, it is fine. I have something I wanted to give you anyway." With that he pulled a small photograph from his desk and handed it to Naruto.

"Who is this?" He replied puzzled to why he had been given a photo. The picture had four people on it, two boys, and two girls. The left of the photograph showed two young Hyuga's, with their arms wrapped around each other as they smiled. The right showed another couple, one with blonde spiky hair, and the other with flowing blood-red hair. The four of them seemed to be good friends as each of them had a smile on their faces.

"Oh...my...god. Is that _you _Hiashi-sama?" Neji was a little shocked to say the least. He immediately received a nod of approval from the clan head as it caught Hinata's attention also.

"This is a picture of mother and father shortly after they left the academy. I don't know who the other two are though." Hinata smiled as she saw the look on Naruto's face as he focussed more on the picture.

"Turn it around." Naruto complied with his wishes and saw the small note on the back of it.

_Hiashi and I, with Minato and Kushina, shortly after the Chuunin exam._

_Age 13_

Naruto finally got to see a picture of his mother. They seemed so happy together, as did Hinata's parents. It was hard to believe that the stern-faced man that stood before him was the same kid who was smiling happily in this picture.

"T-thank-you H-Hiashi." It had left Naruto speechless. A simple thank you was all he could muster as he gazed deeply at his parents. Hiashi walked around to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, before _hugging_- yes _hugging _– Hinata and Hanabi. It was the first time either girl could remember their father showing such affection.

After a few heart-felt goodbyes between the group, Naruto picked up Hinata's backpack and headed for the door. Hinata stayed behind a few seconds more to give Hanabi another hug, before catching up to her almost unrecognisable boyfriend. She held his present under her left arm, as she linked him with her right. Many of the Hyuga's were out in the gardens, wishing them farewell as they exited the compound.

They walked quietly through the streets, attracting looks from many onlookers, in the direction of the main gate. It didn't take them long before they got there.

"Since when did you have a twin, Naruto-kun?" She joked as she looked at the 'Naruto' that was stood at the gate with Kakashi, holding a large rucksack.

"You know I should really teach you how to make Kage Bunshin's, they are far too handy in day to day life." He replied with a smile and shouted ahead to Kakashi, who took a double-take when he saw the _real _Naruto walking towards him with Hinata. Just to add insult to injury, the clone that he had been stood talking to for the past twenty minutes disappeared.

"You mean to tell me I have been stood talking to a clone for twenty minutes?" Kakashi paled as he looked at the smirk on Naruto's face.

"Sorry Kakashi-sensei, Hinata needed help packing and I didn't think you would actually get here before us." He really didn't understand how Kakashi had suddenly become more motivated to be on-time.

"It's okay; I guess I have a reputation of being late for everything." He sighed as he picked up Naruto's bag and met them half-way.

"Not leaving without saying goodbye are you?" Naruto and Hinata looked around to the tree-line besides them to see Shino and Kiba leaning against a tree, with Kurenai sat above them on a low-branch.

"Of course not, I saw you hiding there a while ago." She smiled as she de-activated her Byakugan, waiting as the three of them walked towards her. Naruto left Hinata to talk to them as he walked over to Kakashi.

"And don't worry about Sasuke, we will get him." He smiled as he patted Kakashi's shoulder. When he dispelled his clone he was flooded with information of their conversation, which appeared to mostly reside around Sasuke and Sakura. It was understandable really.

"I hope so. I don't know what I would do if he spills the blood of another friend..." The anger in his voice was apparent, yet Naruto simply rejected to accept this attitude from his sensei.

"It's okay Kakashi-sensei, I understand how you feel. But, with Hinata by my side, I can't even think about revenge. It's physically impossible, her presence sooths my soul. I don't really know about your past, but I know by how you reacted to our _talk _the other day, that you have lost someone close to you before. But I saw how you seemed to calm down drastically when Kurenai..." Naruto's rant was cut short by a sudden 'pop', and the rising cloud of smoke near the front gate.

"Are you ready to go Naruto-chan?" The small green sage toad asked to get the attention of the small group.

"Hina-hime, you ready to go?"

"Hai, Naru-kun." She gave one final hug to her teammates before turning back to Naruto, who was holding one backpack in each hand. She walked over to him and picked up her own, and slid it on to her back.

"Have you already signed a summoning contract, Miss Hyuga?" Fukusaku politely enquired as he rolled out the enormous scroll that he had been stood on. She shook her head to signify that she hadn't. She could never get used to talking animals.

"You don't mind signing a contract with the toads do you hime? They're really friendly, well...apart from Gamabunta that is." That remark almost resulted in Fukusaku falling off the scroll. He did enjoy how Naruto thought so 'highly' of Bunta.

"W-what do I have to do?" she replied a little apprehensively.

"Just sign the contract with some of your blood, and put your fingerprints on it. You can copy mine if you like hime." He smiled as she looked at the name next to the empty square that had been rolled out in front of her. It read 'Uzumaki Naruto'. It didn't surprise her when she read the next two names on the contract, 'Namikaze Minato' and 'Jiraiya'. It was a privilege to become part of something that only _legends _of Konoha seemed to have signed on to. After she finished signing the scroll, Fukusaku quickly began making hand-seals.

"Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" After he slammed his palm into the ground, the three of them disappeared into thin air, leaving a stunned Kiba and Shino. Kakashi and Kurenai were both aware that the toads had the ability to reverse summon those that held their contract. The four turned away from the gate, and headed back into the middle of the village. Kiba and Shino both had clan issues to attend to, leaving Kurenai and Kakashi.

"Thank you for before." Kakashi smiled underneath his mask as he spoke. It seemed to ease Kurenai, who was beginning to find the silence a little awkward. "I-um was wondering if you wanted to, maybe, um – go for a drink? I really don't think I could be alone any longer today."

"I expected a better chat-up line from the 'fabled' Hatake Kakashi, but I can understand how you feel. I would love to, but you're buying." She smirked as his face seemed to light up slightly. He was fully expecting a rejection, as he knew it really wasn't one his best lines. The two of them walked through the middle of Konoha, looking for a quiet place for a drink, which was quite difficult, considering most of the shinobi force inhabited almost every bar in the entire village.

* * *

Apologies again for the long delay, but as I mentioned in my other story, I've been having a pretty crap couple of weeks so I've not really had the motivation to write.

Speaking of which, please look out for my new story Shadow which I started the other day. It is much darker than A Hero's Return, and in a sense is a 'what if' version of this story. It is set two years into the War, and Naruto's life is hell. The major difference between the two stories is that he continued to pursue Sakura rather than acknowledge his feelings for Hinata. Oh how such a thing could affect his life.

If you want to know a little more about it, give it a read because it's only a relatively short chapter.

Reviews are always appreciated. I reply to all reviews, good or bad.

Hope you all enjoy. :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. Though fuck me, I wish I did. Chapter 544 was like perfection in my eyes. I only hope Kishi keeps it up.

**Author Note:** Hey guys, I'm back. I would love to say that I'm back indefinitely, but I can't promise anything. I finally decided to start writing again about two or three weeks ago, and it's taken me weeks to write new chapters for both my fics, when it only used to take a couple of days at most. When you spend most of the academic year researching and writing essays and theses, the last thing you want to do on your vacation is write even more. Sadly for me, I do enjoy it. I can't promise weekly chapters, but I'm not gunna make you wait like 6 months for a chapter again. Again, I'm really sorry to all the followers of my works.

A lot of people have mentioned the fact that I have kept Naruto at Genin rank rather than advancing him. At this present point, having him as a Chuunin / Jounin doesn't add a great deal to the story, as he won't be taking part in the start of the war. I just left it with the idea that he is a Sage rivalled only by his father (not sure if he was actually a Sage, but he is a legend amongst Shinobi regardless) and Jiraiya, which in my eyes surpasses rank. Even if his rank is 'Genin', everyone in the village would know that Naruto isn't just some fodder that can be ordered around by the lower ranks. I mean, I gave him a seat on the new clan based council...No one would order around a clan head, regardless of their rank.

This is a mistake on my part as it wasn't thought through thoroughly enough at the time of writing it, but I'm not going back and re-writing sections of it yet. It's bad enough trying to think of new chapters, let alone correct all the mistakes I've made in previous ones. But I assure you that it doesn't mean he will stay like that forever. And I can only apologise enough for writing things that are riddled with flaws, but I'm really not that forward thinking of a writer...I just write what's in my head at the time.

I had some really big speech about how I dislike people who flame writers work, but everyone will have already heard it all before...so I'll keep it short and sweet. If you don't like what you read, don't review. If you do decide to review negatively, make sure it's _constructive _and doesn't make me want to go shoot myself for being a poor attempt at a write.

Anyway, here's Chapter 9.

* * *

***Chapter 9 - ***

Hyuga Hinata knew that she had only closed her eyes for the briefest of moments, but she couldn't believe what she saw when she opened them. It felt as if she was in some kind of genjutsu. One second she was looking down the long and winding dirt path that led out of the main gates of Konoha, with greenery on either flank as far as the eye could see, the next she was standing in front of a beautiful waterfall flowing off the enormous rock-face that now appeared before her.

"What do you think Hina-hime?" The stunningly beautiful Hyuga was so entranced by the way the water cascaded as it fell onto the rockery down below, that she had almost completely forgotten she wasn't alone.

As the lavender-eyed Kunoichi's senses suddenly returned, she spun on her heel to be greeted by a heart-warming smile from the one person who could make her feel perfect with only a look from those piercing blue gems. All she could do was stare back in a stunned fashion as the setting sun shone from behind him, presenting him with a golden glow around his person. Hinata had to rub her eyes as she thought she was looking at a mirage. At that second in time, she wasn't staring at Naruto, she was staring at...

"What is it? Do I have something in my hair or something?" A wave of self-consciousness grew in the teen as he ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling it in case there was something there that shouldn't have been.

"N-no, I-it's nothing Naruto. You just look so..."

"Sexy?" He prompted for his own amusement, with the desired effect. A rosy tint flashed across her cheeks before she tried desperately to stifle the giggle that erupted from her by covering her mouth with her hand.

"I knew it, I'm irresistible," the spiky haired blonde mocked as he swayed his hair and pouted his lips, only making her laugh further.

"S-stop it, you're making my sides hurt." Her call's for peace only egged him on further, rasping his arms around her sides, tickling her into hysterics.

"Ahem," someone behind them attempted to draw their attention by a forcefully loud clearing of the throat, but to no avail. They were in a world of their own; nothing could snap them out of it...

"**Oi, you little brat...pay some goddamn attention!" **The booming voice sent shivers down Naruto's spine as he stopped his 'torture' of the girl in his arms, slowly averting his gaze to where the overly familiar voice came from.

A nervous laugh overcame the rookie-Sage of Konoha as he realised that they weren't alone. Every single toad in Mt. Myoboku had just had front-row seats to his 'assault' on the newest member to the fold. Hinata too looked on in amazement, shortly followed by embarrassment as what seemed like hundreds of pairs of eyes honed in on them. "Naruto-kun..." she mumbled weakly in disbelief.

"Uh, Hi guys," he chuckled hesitantly as he removed his arm around Hinata's waist, "How long have you all be standing there?" He already knew the answer, but it didn't hurt to ask.

"They have been waiting for your return since I left to get you Naruto-chan. They wanted to congratulate you." Fukusaku smiled as spoke. Naruto didn't know why, but that meant a lot to him. He already knew that the toads had accepted him, but it was still a great gesture.

"Thank you, everyone...even you Gamabunta. It means a lot to me." He looked on at the crowd of toads of all shapes and sizes. They appeared to have arranged themselves into some form of hierarchy. Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro towered above the rest at the back of the group, who got progressively smaller until Shima and Fukusaku, who were placed at the front of the group along with the younger toads.

"**Hey, I'm not here for you. I'm here for the Sake you owe me!" **

"Yeah, yeah, stop making up excuses Boss-toad, you wanted to see me just as much as everyone else." Naruto brushed off the fact that he really did owe him _a lot _of Sake, after pulling a prank on him a few years back. He knew one day he would have to pay him back, but for the time being he could just shrug it off without any ramifications.

"Naruto-kun..." the smile she gave him could have melted his mind there and then. The innocence that exuded from her was unbearable as she seemed to look on at him, urging him to do something with her pupil-less eyes. It took all his will power not to plant a kiss on her luscious lips and take her then and then.

"Sorry hime," he whispered into her ear before turning back to the on-looking sea of toads. "My apologies. Let me introduce to you Hyuga Hinata, heiress to the Hyuga Clan and the newest signature on the toad summoning contract. I hope that it would be acceptable if we were to live amongst the great toads of Mt. Myoboku?"

"Of course it would be Naruto-chan. Ma was just cooking up some grub if you're hungry?"

"Providing it's not with _real _grubs then I'm starving." Hinata laughed at what she believed to be a joke, but when she saw the stoic look on her boyfriends face she realised it was no joke. The paleness of her skin was one that Sai couldn't even rival.

"Hey, hey, Naruto-kun...Is she your..." Gamakichi called out from within the crowd, waving what could only be likened to a person's 'pinkie'.

The pair blushed simultaneously as they walked behind Fukusaku and Shima. Neither replied verbally, but their body language said it all to the smart-aleck of the toads.

"**Punching above your weight with a Hyuga ain't ya?" **Bunta jeered at the teen as he walked on by.

"Just because you're a hundred times bigger than me doesn't mean I couldn't beat you to a pulp," the casual swagger with which Naruto walked away only added further insult to the chief-toad, but he knew deep down he was in no shape to take him on as he was still hampered by his injuries at the hands of Pain.

"**When I'm healed you better be prepared to back that up you little runt."**

Naruto blanked him and kept on walking behind the sage toads, inside of the building carved into the stone with Hinata by his side.

"Was it a good idea to make him angry like that Naruto-kun?" She wasn't entirely sure what had just happened. All that she knew was that the large orange toad he was having a pissing contest with seemed to be the boss around here.

"Ah, they're always the same Hyuga-chan. Naruto-chan likes to annoy Bunta-chan, and Bunta-chan looks down upon Naruto-chan." Fukusaku stated matter-of-factly as they sat knelt on a colourful rug, waiting for Shima to return from the cooking area.

"Ano- does he not accept you Naruto-kun?" She found it a little funny that everyone in Konoha, as well as every other toad in Mt. Myoboku accepted him, except for the one who was supposedly his main summon.

"Oh, it's not that he doesn't accept me Hinata-hime, he has a certain rule. When I first signed the contract and summoned him, after Ero-sennin threw me off a cliff...but that's a story for another time...I had to endure through a challenge, which I succeeded. After all I went through; Bunta said he would refuse to acknowledge me fully until we could have a drink to seal the deal. It's a little trivial really, but he's got his traditions."

"Huh, that is a little strange. But that doesn't tell me why you act like you do around him..." she trailed off as she spoke, as she began to catch a whiff of something in the air. Whatever it was it smelt amazing.

"Until he gives up with his stupid tradition, he is subject to feel the wrath of the number one prankster in Konoha." He chuckled as he silently thanked Kami that Shima hadn't been cooking with real grubs.

The food smelt wonderful as she brought it in. Actual ramen, with ingredients that suited human needs, it made his mouth water slightly as Shima handed him a bowl.

"Arigato, Shima-san." Hinata thanked her politely as she handed the lady Hyuga a bowl, before pouring a ladle of steaming hot noodles doused in a rich smelling sauce into her bowl.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto had no need for pleasantries, he was starving.

Hinata, Shima, and Fukusaku looked on in amusement as Naruto quickly polished off the bowl he had been given, before anyone else had even had time to break their chop-sticks. In all fairness, he hadn't eaten since the morning. After leaving the hospital, he really didn't know what to do with himself. Eating seemed to have slipped his mind entirely.

He instantly went in for seconds. After all he was starving. Hinata just smiled as she watched him devour another bowl. She didn't know why but there just seemed to be something extremely cute about the way he ate. Throughout the meal, Naruto constantly made the young Hyuga laugh, telling her stories of some of the pranks that he had pulled on Gamabunta in the past. After bringing it up again, Naruto told Hinata about when, and why, Jiraiya had pushed him off a cliff. She couldn't decide whether to be grateful or worried that Naruto had spent so many years under the tutelage of someone who had no issues pushing a twelve year old to his death.

Fukusaku and Shima analysed the young couple from afar. As soon as they had gotten talking, they had completely forgotten that they were with other people...well, toads. It was like Minato and Kushina all over again, but the roles reversed. Naruto took after his mothers hyperactive nature, whereas Hinata was relatively reserved, much like the Yondaime. They instantly thanked Kami that he had turned out more like his parents, than his old sensei. As much as they missed the Legendary Sannin, they knew that his nomadic life-style was one that followed a life of solitude. If only he and Tsunade had hooked up when they were younger...

"I hate to break you two apart, Naruto-chan, but now you've eaten we should really visit the Ogama Sennin. You know how bad his memory is." Fukusaku smiled as he jumped from his seat and headed towards the door.

"Hai. Sorry Hime, looks like duty calls." He leaned in close and embraced her in his grip, before planting an affectionate kiss on her lips. The pair agreed that it would be a little disrespectful to show their desires in public, so they kept it to the minimum. As their lips parted company, the displeased look she gave him said it all. "Don't worry; I'll make up for it later." His husky voice tickled her ear as he whispered seductively, sending shivers down her spine.

The blonde gave her one final glance before heading out after Fukusaku, leaving Shima and Hinata alone.

"Come on, I'll show you to where you and Naruto-chan will be staying."

"Arigato, Shima-san."

* * *

"She seems like a nice girl, Naruto-chan. Very different to most Hyuga's I've had the _pleasure_ of meeting." The way he emphasised the word 'pleasure' made Naruto laugh, but he could understand how people could get rubbed up the wrong way by the naturally emotionless attitude of most Hyuga's.

"Sometimes it's easy to forget that she is a Hyuga. She is so kind and caring, and well, perfect. I'm sure things will change when she becomes the clan head. Even if she doesn't change them, I already have an oath to her cousin that I will end the feud between the Main and Branch families, when I become Hokage." Naruto sighed as he reminisced on his younger actions. "I really was naive when I was younger."

"Wisdom comes with age Naruto-chan. But from what I've heard, you're becoming quite the legend. Maybe in time you will be in a position to make those dreams come to fruition."

"Maybe, but I've already turned down the position once. I don't know how many chances you are supposed to get at such a title. I'm just not ready yet." How could he be? Sakura was dead, and he was nowhere to be seen when it happened. The blame weighed heavily on his chest when he was offered the position. If he couldn't be there to save his own teammate, how could he protect everyone else? Naruto looked casually towards the stars, looking for some form of guidance from his perverted sensei or his father...but none came.

"Jiraiya-chan turned down the position of Yondaime _and _Godaime on two occasions. There's plenty of time for you yet. But I assure you, when we are finished here, you will be ready for anything." That caught the teen's attention as they entered the shrine area in which the Great Toad Sage of Mt. Myoboku resided.

"Is there more to Senjutsu that I need to learn?" When it came down to learning new techniques, Naruto's face resembled that of a kid being handed candy.

"Believe me, Naruto-chan. In all my years I have never seen someone so adept to using Senjutsu in battle as you. You defeated a foe that even dear Jiraiya-chan couldn't defeat. Not even Minato-chan could compete with you in that field," Fukusaku stopped and looked up at him. "Both of them would have been proud of you."

"Heh, you think so?" Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment at the praise, and headed towards the pedestal which housed the Great Toad Sage. The elderly looking toad opened his eyes slightly to catch a glimpse of who the echoing footsteps belong to.

"Welcome. I have summoned you here because- um...who are you again?" Naruto sighed as the elderly toad started going through his routine amnesia.

"It's Naruto-chan. I brought him here as you request Ojiji-Sama."

"Ah, yes, yes. Welcome Naruto." A lengthy pause ensued before the Sage Toad spoke again. "Naruto...I have seen your future. You...you will play a significant role in the up and coming war. I see many acts of selflessness in the futures of those around you. Those with great power from within their eyes will hold the key to the door of victory, but also to the door of defeat."

Naruto absorbed the words. Parts of his prophecy were already known to him. 'Great power from within their eyes' gave Naruto a shrilled tingle down his spine. Uchiha Madara...Sasuke...They were the only people he could think of who fall into that category. It scared him greatly when he spoke of the 'selfless' acts of others. War breeds sacrifice, something Naruto didn't know if he could live with, knowing those around him have sacrificed so much for his safety. "Gamatora...I have also foreseen the transfer of the seal to Naruto."

"As you wish, Ojiji-sama." As if on cue, the toad's abdomen elongated to something that resembled a scroll, except with legs and a head. After a slight tug on the top of the scroll, it unravelled presenting Naruto with a patterned seal that very much resembled the one on his stomach.

"Wh-what is this?"

"It's the key to opening and closing your seal. With this, you can take full control of the Kyubi, and use his power accordingly. It can also be the gateway to a host of techniques that only a handful of shinobi have ever been able to use."

"More power is all good and well, I doubt I would be able to defeat Madara without the power of the Kyubi. But, what's the catch?"

"I don't blame ya for being a little suspicious, Naruto. There are two parts to the Kyubi's power within you; the "chakra" and the "mind". In order to control it fully, you need to extract the "chakra" without any of the "mind". If you allow any of the "mind" to take hold over your own during the process, the Kyubi will be able to break free from its bonds and will walk this earth once more." Silence ensued as Naruto thought on what had been said.

"How can I defeat it?"

"The only way to defeat it is to confront it free of hate. If you don't, it will consume you."

"I- I understand." Naruto stepped apprehensively towards the seal. Every inch of him was in conflict over this. If he were to fail at controlling the Kyubi, it could mean so much worse for the shinobi world. That is, until a moment of clarity entered his mind.

"_I sealed half of the Kyubi's chakra inside you because I knew that someday, you would be able to control it."_ There it was, the sign he had been waiting for. It hit him like a bullet in the head as the memory appeared in his consciousness as if someone had flicked a switch.

After that, Naruto was at ease as he calmly made his way up the stone steps, signing the scroll over to himself by placing his fingerprints on the scroll.

"This is bigger than me now. If I don't do this, it could mean the end of the world as we know it. I will fight the Kyubi, and I will _win_." Something had Naruto riled up, and Fukusaku and Gamatora were confused as to what that might have been. With the faith of his father, and the trust of his lover, Naruto knew that he would succeed.

Fukusaku gave an approving nod of the actions of the teen, as Gamatora transformed back to his original form. Naruto grinned in reply as he walked back down the steps towards the small green elder toad.

"If we are finished here, do you mind if I go back to Hinata-hime?" Fukusaku simply nodded and Naruto replied in kind, leaving the toads to discuss amongst themselves as Naruto headed back to the rock-face.

* * *

Konoha was relatively quiet on this particular evening. Word had finally circulated around the whole village of the deaths of the council, as well as the death of a well known Kunoichi within the higher rungs of the medical staff. Not only was the population soured by these occurrences, but they also had to come to terms with the fact that, with the village almost completely rebuilt, the threat of war was at their doorstep.

The streets were relatively empty. Many had decided to stay at home with their families, as the call for war almost immediately meant that all shinobi within the village would be mobilised soon. That made these final days all the more important to those shinobi with families, as it may be the last time they had to see their children, wives, husbands, parents.

It's amazing to see how spirits could change so quickly. How is it, that the actions of so few, could affect so many? All that Hatake Kakashi knew was that he needed a drink. Thankfully, he had good company.

"Another two glasses please barkeep."

"H-hai, Hokage-sama, coming right up." The barkeep replied to the deadened looking man donning red Kage robes. He was stood at the bar, waiting for his drinks as his 'date' waited in the booth behind.

The man behind the bar returned with two glasses filled with a murky looking liquid filled to the brim, a dark spirit by the look of it. Yet another benefit he had found with his new title, he didn't have to pay for any drinks. That was something he was quietly happy about at the moment as he was on his fourth, and Kurenai was on to her third. After nodding solemnly to the only person that appeared to be working in the fairly life-less drinking hole, the silver-haired Kage turned back to his booth and slid into the seat besides the Jounin-sensei that accompanied him.

"To fallen comrades..." Kakashi raised his glass in front of him as Kurenai picked up the other and clanged the two together.

"Fallen comrades..." was her sombre reply before taking a sip of the strong liquid, gasping for breath as it singed her throat upon swallowing. Kakashi had no such reflex, as he took a much larger mouthful, before slouching back into his chair slightly.

The pair remained in silence for a little while. It wasn't awkward, but it was most definitely unsettling for the Kunoichi. After her year in ANBU as a teenager, she was well aware of the rumours about Kakashi's past. The death of his father was something that hampered his emotional development as a child, and could possibly take part of the blame for the death of his team-mate. Then that fateful day came, almost seventeen years ago...his Sensei was the next to succumb to the cruel fate of the shinobi world. Just as he was getting over such a traumatic event of losing a friend and teacher, he lost the thing that he held above all else in the world, Rin.

It had pushed him into ANBU, somewhere that only further twisted his understanding of things towards the never ending spiral of hatred and despair. She could never forget the first time that she met the man, shortly after the three-man cell she was part of came under attack on a scroll recovery mission. He and his partner were living legends within ANBU, with a near 100 per cent success rate, and a kill-count that not even the Legendary Sannin could compete with. During that botched mission, she found out how they had become so infamous.

One of her team was already dead, the other was holding off the attacking Kiri shinobi whilst she began to use a genjutsu to mask their escape. However, before she could complete it, the other member of her team fell. No fewer than fifteen shinobi were raining down on her position, she had run out of time. Within seconds she would have been over-run. That was when _he _appeared. The crackle of electricity was all that could be heard as he bound over her head in the direction of the chasing shinobi. One-by-one, the silhouettes of the advancing shinobi fell to the forest floor. Every so often she would catch a glimpse of a flashing blue light through the tree canopy as she slumped into a heap against the trunk she had been hiding behind.

She hadn't even noticed that the other ANBU member was stood above her on a low-hanging branch. As he jumped to the forest floor, she breathed a sigh of relief as her fellow masked Nin helped her to her feet. Two shinobi appeared from nowhere behind the masked figure. Their headless bodies fell to the floor before she could even warn the man. As he was sheathing his katana, the screeching died down...until all that could be heard was the sound of footsteps on the crisp leaves littered on the forest floor. Two figures walked out from the shadows, each with an object thrown over their shoulders. As they stepped into the light she realised that it was two identical copies, each carrying a member of her team. One of the copies motioned the limp body over his shoulder to the ground, as the figure began to stir. The Kage Bunshin dispelled, leaving the real figure, with her dead team-mate slumped over his shoulder.

Blood dripped off his free arm, but she was positive that it wasn't his. From what she could see, he wasn't even injured. The look he gave her chilled her to the core. His Sharingan spun ferociously as he set down her team-mate. Moments later he shifted his mask and his eye was no longer visible. The aura he gave off was one of a cold-blooded killer, but it didn't stop her from falling for him there and then.

It had taken him years to fully come to terms with everything that had happened. She was just happy that he had found out about the Yondaime's legacy when he did. It truly gave him something to live for once again. Finally, his burdens appeared to be lifting from him. That bubble he protected himself with seemed to disappear every day. Still, Kurenai knew that she couldn't own the man's heart. Many rumours surrounded the fabled 'Sharingan' Kakashi in terms of his bachelor lifestyle, but as far as she knew he hadn't even looked at another woman since Rin. Or so she had thought.

But she could see it in his eye when she looked at him staring off into the distance, that vacant look that chilled her to the core the first time she ever looked into his lonesome eye. After what had happened, it was understandable that he may revert back to his former self. How are you supposed to cope with one of your students murdering the other?

"A ryou for your thoughts, Kakashi-san?" Kakashi stirred from his trance, taking another mouthful of his drink before turning to his companion.

"I was thinking about what I'm going to say to her parents..." he trailed off again as he reached for his drink.

"I-I'm so sorry. Please Kakashi, if there is _anything _I can do just tell me and I'll do it." Before he could haul his glass up to his mouth, her hands were gripped around his. It happened again. That feeling, it reared its head once again. _"Was Naruto right?" _The Hokage asked himself as the tense look on his face loosened as he looked into her rose coloured eyes.

"K-Kurenai, um- stay with me?" He wrestled with her hands in order to loosen her grip, so that he could put his glass down. Then, he placed his hand on top of hers, squeezing it gently before he spoke again. "I don't know why, but you sooth my soul in a way nothing else can."

The sudden change in body language came from almost nowhere. She quickly tilted her head in the light to mask a blush that even Hinata would have been proud of.

"Wow, now _that _is a line worthy of Hatake Kakashi." She smiled as she turned her hand, so that she could hold his properly. "Where did that one come from?" Kakashi scratched his head with his free hand as his visible eye seemed to curl in embarrassment.

"Would you believe me if I said it was Naruto?" He chuckled slightly as she gave him a look of disbelief in answer to his question. "Through his defence of his feelings for your student, he opened my eyes to my own feelings. I don't know how, but he seemed to pick up on something in the hospital that I didn't. When you comforted me, you put my mind at ease. The very same feeling came back the second you stopped me from taking that drink. All I know is that the pain almost seems bearable when you are with me."

Kurenai was taken aback by those words. She couldn't fault what he said. As far as her eyes could see, what he was saying was coming from the bottom of his heart.

"Fine, I'll stay with you. But on one condition." She smiled as she looked up at his intrigued face.

"Go on..."

"Don't let go." Her eyes honed in on their hands, which had been joined together for the past few minutes.

With his free hand, Kakashi placed the Kage hat firmly on his silver spikes and looked back at her. "Would you like to go for a walk Kurenai-san?"

Her only reply was a smile, complete with a blush as they left the establishment hand-in-hand, strolling towards the Hokage tower under the star-lit sky.

* * *

After leaving his rather daunting conversation with the Ogama Sennin and Fukusaku, Naruto found himself arriving at Shima's home, void of one Hyuga. The confusion he felt was quickly swept away after the small toad pointed him into the direction of where she had taken the lady Hyuga. It was extremely difficult to make out under the night's sky, but a glint of light caught his eye between the overgrown trees.

It could only have been a ten minute journey, but it seemed so far away. As he grew closer, the light got steadily brighter, until eventually he arrived at the building. It was amazing he had never noticed it before. A wooden cabin hid itself within the strange looking trees that called Mt. Myoboku their home. It was a much larger construction to that found carved into the rock-face, and in no way resembled the Spartan style of the toads.

As he approached the door, he felt a little apprehensive about turning the handle. He knew that Hinata would be inside, but something felt wrong. It was as if there was another presence lingering around, and it made him feel uncomfortable. Before he could think about it any longer, the door swung open. Shortly after he found something warm and comforting wrapped around him. The scent of lavender and vanilla was ever present as soft violet hair nuzzled into his neck.

"I missed you too Hime," he whispered as he rested his head on top of hers, allowing the embrace to last as long as possible.

After his eyes reopened from drifting off into his own little inner world of bliss, he was presented with a small portion of the inside of the cabin. All he could see was a desk at the far corner of the room, with a book shelf on the wall above it. The lingering presence, it all made sense now.

The rookie Sage of Konoha pulled back from Hinata slightly, so that he could cup her cheek in his hand, drawing her lips up to a position that he could kiss. It was only short, but it was more than enough to satisfy his needs at the current moment.

"Let's go inside Naru-kun. Shima-san gave me the leftovers from the meal if you're hungry?" She smiled as his face seemed to light up at the first sign of food. He really was too predictable. He simply nodded as she took his hand and guided him into the cabin.

It didn't take long for the smell of food to bombard him, but there were other aroma's present within the cabin that seemed all too familiar. The more time he spent standing in the doorway, the more easily he could distinguish each smell. Writing ink was prominent in the air. It was a smell he had become so fond of during his travels with Jiraiya. The legendary shinobi had a knack of writing whenever he wasn't... otherwise occupied. It made sense considering the writing desk in the corner of the room.

The next smell was one that he had picked up not just from him, but from the only other Sannin he had spent enough time around, Sake. If there were two things he was sure of when it came down to his perverted sensei, it was that he liked his drink, and he liked his women. The man struggled to go a couple of hours without a strong drink. He seemed to be guided further into the room by the potent smells.

The more he looked around the room, the more he recognised the presence. A pair of geta were positioned neatly at the side of the doorway. As he moved close enough to the book shelf, he found that most of the titles were written by the same author. Three photographs were situated above the fireplace. The one on the left presented a photograph similar to one that Naruto had in his possession, of his Genin team and Sensei. The one on the right seemed to be a picture of three children that he didn't recognise at first. Only after he noticed the origami flower in the young girl's hair did he make the connection. But the one in the middle was a little humbling.

"Ero-sennin..." he muttered under his breath as a faint smile drew upon his face. _He _was the central picture. That loud orange jumpsuit of his younger years and his childish looks, it all came flooding back to him as he looked at the image.

"Ano- did you say something Naru-kun?" She noticed the smile on his face. Shima had already told her the significance of the cabin, but it appeared that Naruto had already figured it out in a little over a minute.

"No-no, I was just talking to myself." Naruto seemed a little distant as he spoke, but he was quickly brought back to reality when his hand was grasped by the soft, petite fingers of the lavender eyed kunoichi.

"Let's eat Naruto-kun." Naruto nodded in compliance as she guided him into the next room. The couple got settled in what could only be described as the smallest kitchen/diner known to man. A small table with two dining chairs was situated at one end, with a stove and three cupboards at the other. In comparison to the other room, it was extremely small and inadequate for the use of more than one person.

"How was your conversation with the elder toad?" Hinata asked quietly before she tucked into a bowl of leftovers. It was still just as good as when it was fresh from the cooking pot. She seemed to wait for a while before she got a reply from her blonde hero.

"It was- um- interesting to say the least," he spoke whilst he was eating, much to the disapproval of Hinata, but she let it slide as he paused and finished what he was eating before he continued. "According to Ojiji-sama's prophecy, _I_ will play an important part in this war, which can only mean that..."

"It's okay Naruto, everything will be fine." Hinata didn't like the sound of that. If Naruto would play a prominent role in the war, it means that the conditions allowing them to stay away from the fight would change drastically. Nevertheless, all she could do was try and reassure the blonde.

"That's not even the half of it Hime. '_Those that hold great power within their eyes'_ will play the deciding role in the war. I can only assume he meant Sasuke and Madara, unless you're feeling a little rebellious Hina-Hime..." The severity of his words seemed to soften as he heard her laugh at his little joke. "And not only that, but they have given me the key to opening the seal on the Kyubi." That peaked her worry as she went through her mind what that could mean.

"Surely that will be worse for everyone. What happens if it breaks loose?"

"I know, but I have faith in his prophecy. He has never been wrong, and if he foresees me being able to use the Kyubi's power completely, then so be it."

"It's far too dangerous Naruto. Please, please don't go through with it." The teen was almost on her knees begging Naruto to rethink his decision, but the look he gave her seemed to halt her from crying as she was so very close to.

"The only way I can lose to _him _is if there is hatred in my heart. With you by my side, there is no such thing. You are the light that guides me through the despair. I gather my strength from your love, if you're by my side, I will not lose." He laid his hand on top of hers as he spoke, squeezing it gently as she returned with a squeeze of her own.

"I-I understand Naruto-kun. Whatever path you decide, I will follow you until the day I die."

"Don't say that Hina, I don't want to ever think of such a thing." He smiled as he stood up and walked to the other side of the table, so that he could kiss her forehead, allowing her to wrap her arms around him. It scared him slightly to think that she was so willing to give up her life for his once before, surely the thoughts still lingered.

"I'm scared Naruto. We're too young to go to war." He could hear her sobbing into his dark top, but he didn't care. It was natural for anyone to show fear at such a thing. War, it was, just too much.

"It'll be okay. Have faith in everyone. It will be over before you know it." In the briefest of moments, the roles were reversed in their conversation, yet his reassurances were of little comfort to Hinata.

No matter what she used to take her mind off it, the thoughts of her friends going to war plagued her. All Naruto could do was hold her in an attempt to console her. He understood how she felt, hell, he would probably be doing the same thing if he hadn't of been told that the fate of the world lies in his hands. War was upon them, and he knew that it was just a pipe dream for it to end so quickly. He _had _to remain strong, for himself, for Hinata, for _everyone_.

"Let's try and get some rest Hina-hime." He could feel her shift around in his grasp in an attempt to free herself, before giving him a gentle look through her tearful eyes. He could tell that she was in no mood for discussion.

The couple retired into the bedroom, quickly settling down in the double bed. It didn't take long for Hinata to snuggle up to Naruto and succumb to mental and physical fatigue, yet the blonde remained awake even through the calmness that he felt being with her.

He seemed to lie there for a while, his mind void of any thought. Eventually something came into his head as if someone turned on a switch...Haruno Sakura was gone, and she was _never _coming back. Realisation had finally wormed its way in, and for the remainder of the night, he could think of nothing else.

* * *

It was quiet, too quiet. Something was stirring in the air, and those that were lying in wait could feel it growing with every second. The anxiety was too much too handle, yet they knew that they were to wait for backup before advancing any further.

"I really don't like this feeling." The tanned red-head mumbled to her team leader. The atmosphere around the entrance to the Akatsuki hideout was growing tense. It felt as if, something was coming.

"Neither do I, but we must be patient."

"Where the hell are the reinforcements? We've been here for the best part of two days. What's taking them so long?" Karui was growing restless.

"Calm down Karui. If you spike your chakra you will alert them to our presence, and I really don't want to fight the Akatsuki without reinforcements." The blonde seemed to have a significant influence on her subordinate. One look into her eyes, and Karui was struck with enough fear to quit her moaning.

The three sat in silence as morning fog began to lift from the area. Eventually, they heard something, the sound of squawking birds flying away from the tree line. In their eyes it could only mean one thing...

"We've got company..." Omoi whispered as he slowly reached behind him and grabbed hold of the hilt of his blade. They waited with eyes fixed on the tree line, but no one came.

Moments past, but still nothing came from the forest at their side. Their agitation only grew further from this, checking in all directions to make sure they hadn't been flanked. A loud thud averted their attention back to the cave. A cloaked man stood in front of the entrance, standing quietly as if he was waiting for someone.

They examined him from their prone position. They were far enough away to remain undetected, but still able to distinguish some features about the person. Unfortunately they were facing away from them, and all they could see was the back of the white cloak the person was draped in. In a flash the figure quickly changed stance, with his forearms almost lying on the ground. Something shot out from his sleeves, expanding rapidly in the direction of the cave entrance. A string of explosions rang out from the close proximity of the entrance...

"What the fuck was that?" Karin screamed in no general direction as it felt as if the cave was about to collapse on itself. The violence with which the lair shook awoke everyone who wasn't already awake.

"Someone tripped the booby trap at the front entrance." **"Can we eat them? I'm starving." **Karin didn't know what to be more anxious of, the fact that they were under attack, or Black Zetsu.

"Too late plant boy, somebody's already gone. I'm not letting them have all the fun though. Karin, stay with the prisoner." Kisame grinned fiercely with his shark-like teeth as he walked towards the exit, with Samehada draped over his shoulder, closely followed by Zetsu...

(Back outside)

"Well well, if it isn't the traitors little lap dog. What can I do for you...before I end you?" A single figure walked out from the darkness of the cave, his black cloak and swirling orange mask were too recognisable to mistake the man's identity. A metallic crunching noise was heard as he took a step, lighting up the area in an instant with his next step. The figure in white slid backwards to avoid the blast, looking on in disbelief as the figure continued to walk through the flames completely unharmed.

"It appears Orochimaru-sama was right. You _are _Uchiha Madara. And it seems he was correct in thinking that he was not the first being to reach immortality."

"Do not compare me to that pathetic excuse of existence. You have ten seconds before I kill you. One..." Madara grew closer to his prey with every step. "...Two."

"Now now, no need to get touchy. I feel that I have something that you require." Yakushi Kabuto had always been known as a smooth talker, and he knew exactly how to push everyone's buttons...

"...And what might that be? Five." Even the infamous Uchiha Madara had his own buttons to press...

"..._Power_." The way in which he spoke seemed to send shivers down the Uchiha's spine. It was the same as all of that wretched clan. One word could halt them in their tracks.

"I'm listening..." The masked Akatsuki leader was stopped by the clanging of metal. It didn't surprise him that this might have happened. After all...

"You son of a bitch! I'm gunna kill you where you stand." Two chakra enhanced kunai appeared to be holding back the over-sized executioners blade of one Hozuki Suigetsu. The water based shinobi had a right to be pissed. After all, the man stood before him now had spent years experimenting on him.

"Hey you little shit, let the grown up's talk, or my _pet_ is gunna feast on you." The swordsman quickly withdrew from his attack after he heard that. He felt the killer intent coming from his fellow Kiri shinobi.

Suigetsu withdrew to a flanking position behind Madara, besides Kisame. It was three against one with no escape.

"Well Kabuto? I'm not going to wait all day. There are a number of people in my party that would have no qualms in killing you right now, including me."

"Very well, I was only delaying so that your man could finish his job..." The spike in chakra alerted those who were watching from a distance to the danger headed their way.

"Hello there." "**Dinner time."** All that could be heard was a sudden rustling before loud bangs coming from two separate locations. It lasted a matter of seconds before five figures landed in the clearing, having been blocked off from their escape routes. The cell of Kumo Nin's was joined by a two man cell draped in standard ANBU attire.

"Good work Zetsu. Now that the rats are here, what does the snake have to say for itself?" Madara was quickly growing impatient with current turnings. He had known about the three man cell since they arrived, but the ANBU must have been following Kabuto.

"As I said, I can offer you power. It's as simple as that."

"Very well. A demonstration would be nice, and guess what? We have intruders. Kill them, unless of course you're in league with them." Madara didn't trust the man one bit. How could you put any faith in a man who had only had employment as a spy?

"Oh, don't worry. They aren't with me. Isn't that right...Anko? And judging by your chakra output, you're Danzo's little pet. Sai, right?" For the first time, one of the 'rats' spoke.

"Joining forces with the Akatsuki? That's low even for you. Take off your mask Sai, our cover is already blown." the pale skinned 'Root' member did as ordered, removing his mask along with his companion. Unless you were used to it, fighting with your mask on was a hindrance in such a high-levelled battle.

"You...you're the guy from the village." Karui stated matter-of-factly as she positioned herself aside the two Konoha shinobi. Omoi and Samui quickly followed suit. With Zetsu now back with the Akatsuki, it was five on five, but there was no way that they could hold out against four Akatsuki members, _and _a man increasing in power daily due to his merge with the legendary Sannin.

"Hello..." Sai smiled slightly at the girl before reaching behind him for his blade. The others seemed to follow suit, each grasping their swords ready for battle.

"Oh, we have some 'swordsmen' do we? Can Samehada and I have a little play?" Kisame forced his bandaged blade out in front of him. It was _huge _due to its gorging on the Hachibi's chakra for a couple of days. Spikes jutted from the bandages as it struggled to maintain its basic form due to its surge in power.

"You should take your sword back to the prisoner. If he wakes up all hell could break loose." Madara wasn't making a request; he was ordering his fellow Akatsuki member. But the shark faced man didn't back down.

"He's not gunna wake up for days. Samehada didn't even leave him with enough chakra to speak, let alone move. Besides, how far can he go with no legs?" That caught Karui's attention.

"I'm going to kill you slowly you fucking fish-faced bastard!" Her sudden advance was halted by the cool looking Omoi.

"Don't be so stupid. If this is the guy that captured Bee-Sensei, you have no chance against him. We're better off fighting as a group than on our own."

"Don't be like that kid. You'll ruin all my fun..." Without warning, Kisame was in front of them with his sword in full swing. It took the defensive stances of Karui, Omoi, and Sai to block the over-sized blade.

"Kisame...I will _not _tell you again. I wanted a demonstration of this so called 'power' we've been offered. How can we get that if you kill them all?" The booming voice sent chills down the man's spine. He thought he could get away with killing one or two, but Madara's word was final. He had no intentions of being killed for insubordination.

"So be it. Looks like I'll just have to have some fun with you later, brat." His comment was aimed at the on-looking Suigetsu, much to his approval. He had been waiting for a chance to get his hands on the strongest sword out of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist. Again, Kisame retreated to the sidelines, leaving the five shinobi to face off against Kabuto.

"I don't think this will disappoint, Madara." Kabuto quickly changed his stance, so that he was facing the two groups side-on. The cloaked figure began going through a number of hand-seals. With each one that was complete, the air pressure changed on the battlefield. Something was coming, and everyone could feel it. "In a few seconds, it will be all over."

"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei!" The group looked on in disbelief as five coffins began to rise from the ground behind him.

"...No...Impossible..." was all that anyone could pick out from the gibberish coming from the seasoned shinobi. As the flies began to catch in Anko's gaping mouth, the others soon began to wear similar expressions on their faces as the coffin's opened.

"I present to you, Nagato, Kakuzu, Deidara, Akasuna no Sasori, and last but not least, Uchiha Itachi. With my offerings, you will have no problems against the Shinobi of this pitiful world. _No one _can stand against my technique."

"W-what the hell is this?" Even Omoi was beginning to fear for the worst. His cool demeanour from before had begun to crack. It was now two: one and something told him that those that had come from the coffin wouldn't be easy to defeat.

"This is far too dangerous, we need to retreat and wait for reinforcements. We _can't _take them on."

"Now now, how can I demonstrate my _power _if you runaway?" She was too overcome with panic to notice Kabuto appear directly behind Itachi. Before she could do anything it was too late.

She had heard of this from the reports made by the ANBU squadron that watched on as Orochimaru fought with the late Sandaime. In the instant the tag was placed into the back of Itachi's skull, the body began to reanimate. Its initial greyness seemed to dissipate as it took a few steps out of the coffin. The last thing to 'come back to life' was the figures eyes. Anko went wide eyed as the life-less orbs transformed into something she wished she never had to see again in this world.

"We need to fall back, NOW!"

"Too late, Anko-sama..." The reanimated doll spoke for the first time. The gentleness in the voice was riddled with killer intent. That truly _was _Itachi. The group stared on as his pupils seemed to spin wildly, turning from their original form into something far more sinister. "Amaterasu!"

The group looked on in disbelief as the ranking Shinobi of the group went up in a sea of black flames. Her screams could be heard for miles around as her body quickly became engulfed by the devastating jutsu. It only took a couple of seconds for her body to turn to ash right before their very eyes.

"Wh-what just happened?" Karui couldn't believe her eyes as she watched the ash swirl in a gust of wind, carried away into the stratosphere.

Sai tried to hide his emotions, but you could see the angst on his face as he gripped the hilt of his blade that tightly his hands started to bleed. He wanted to attack, but he knew he'd be dead before he even took a footstep. This was a battle for demons and monsters alike. Normal Shinobi had no place in this battle, unfortunately for them, they had no 'monsters' within their ranks.

A slow clapping came from the back of the pack, averting the attention of the Kumo/Konoha shinobi to the masked figure lingering near the entrance of the cave.

"Impressive, very impressive. Even through death, he still possesses his Mangekyo Sharingan. I must say Kabuto; I'm definitely intrigued by your offer." Madara licked his lips as if he was a serpent about to devour his next meal, looking on at the reanimated corpse of his brethren.

"The technique is flawless. Each person resurrected will maintain all of their previous skills and attributes, without the side effects such things cause on one's body. For instance, the disease which plagues those of _your _clan who achieve the ultimate doujutsu is rendered inert. Chakra use is of no issue to those whom I control, as they have unlimited reserves. And better yet..." his gloating was cut off by a sudden rumbling. The ground began to tremor as the foothold beneath the Akatsuki members began to collapse.

The ground quickly became uprooted. In the blink of an eye, the Uchiha was severed in half as a fifteen foot long snake shot out from the ground. Before Itachi's shredded torso hit the deck, the reptile vanished from view in a cloud of smoke, along with his legs.

"My, my...Orochimaru didn't tell me that you could use the _'body shedding' _Jutsu. But to back it up with a Doton Jutsu _and_ such a powerful summoning, you must be near your limit." Everyone looked on as the dust settled, revealing something they didn't expect...Anko knelt on one knee as her erratic breathing evened itself out.

"You weren't always that bastard's right-hand man." She seethed in agony as she could feel her reserves running dry. At least she had taken care of Itachi...

"Unfortunately for you, you didn't let me finish my speech before you needlessly expended so much energy." Kabuto fixed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose as he watched the fatigued figure look on in disbelief as, piece by piece, Itachi's legs reformed. "As I was saying, the most important thing about this technique is..._Immortality._"

'_Shit, shit, this is impossible. I'm almost out of chakra. I can't keep this up...we're gunna die here if I can't find an escape route.'_ Anko was panicking, and the four disbelieving figures behind her could see it.

Something caught her attention as the newly reformed Itachi began to walk towards her with his newly formed limbs. His eyes, those fucking Sharingan orbs seemed to be resisting the technique. She could see the agony pained across the walking corpses face.

"I-I'm so sorry, Anko-sama." his words were draped in remorse, something Anko never knew the fabled murderer of the Uchiha clan possessed.

"I guess the Sharingan really is something of legend after all. To resist _my _technique, now that is something I have yet to see in my Edo Tensei's. Itachi was one of the one's I had planned on maintaining their original memories. Too bad." Kabuto appeared to form a seal with his hands before chakra began to visibly emanate from them.

Anko watched as the pained face dissipated into nothingness. It was like it was no longer Itachi, but a shell that held all of his power. To think that such a man could have become this twisted. _'Damn you Kabuto.'_

"Something's coming... and it's _fast._" White Zetsu murmured into the ear of his leader. The swirling mask turned slightly in acknowledgement, but he said nothing. He already knew who it was, but he gave Kabuto no inkling as to what was approaching. _'Let's consider this an additional test.'_ He smirked beneath his mask as he saw a flash in the distance.

He could feel the man's chakra output, but Madara truly was flummoxed slightly by his presence. This wasn't part of his plan. He could begin to feel everything begin to slip from his grasp. He could potentially lose the Hachibi before he even had time to seal it away.

"Erubō!" The cry seemed to lag the actual Jutsu. It happened so fast that those who stood at the foot of the rock face were almost unsure of what had actually happened. One second, Itachi was stood there, the next, he was imbedded in the rock-face behind them. A blurred colossus of a man took his place, lightning coating his entire body. His eyes were seething in disgust, never averting away from the man with the swirling orange mask.

"R-Raikage-sama...?" Karui almost couldn't believe her eyes.

'_Finally, the back-up has arrived.'_ Samui breathed a sigh of relief, never lowering her guard.

"Where the fuck is my brother?" His voiced boomed as a whole division of Kumo ANBU landed in the clearing behind him.

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That's all folks. Please Read and Review. I really appreciate it.

I'm going to change the section with the prophecy, because It doesn't read right. But I can't exactly have the canon one, as I'm not going to have Bee and Naruto together. Any suggestions / advice would be much appreciated.

I hope it was worth the wait, but judging by the lack of reviews Shadow received for its new chapter, it probably wasn't. Ah well eh, I guess I'll improve again once I get back into the swing of writing.


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